Since the official shutdown began, thousands of flight delays have disrupted travel at major U.S. airports, in no small part due to staff shortages.
Air traffic controllers and others TSA workers considered essential, which means they need to work from October 1, When the shutdown started. Like other essential federal government workers, the controllers are expected to go without pay — until the shutdown ends.
It’s no secret that workers prefer to be paid for their hard work, which has led to some getting sick. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to fire “troubled child” workers who don’t show up – estimated at 10 per cent of controllers.
Absences among air traffic controllers and TSA workers have put pressure on the air travel system, slowing security lines, disrupting flight operations and causing Delays and cancellations Across the country. The ripple effects go beyond airport delays, reducing business and tourism spending, and eroding consumer confidence.
As any air traveler knows, delays due to inclement weather, mechanical problems and the volume of flights are common. But since the beginning of the shutdown, the obstacles have increased. On October 19 alone, more than 5,800 flights were delayed, with Southwest Airlines reporting the most delays of all airlines and Chicago O’Hare International Airport experiencing the most disruptions of any US airport.
Earlier this month, Duffy told Fox Business that worker absences typically account for 5% of delays — now they’re in half.
As controller mass callouts increase and Flight delay Multiplier, could this result in obstruction pressured lawmakers to finally end the shutdown? Recent history suggests it might.
Controllers affected the end of the previous shutdown
During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days, hundreds of TSA officers slowed airport security lines, sick, enough to snare a handful of controller absences nationwide.
Mass absences hit a fever pitch on January 25, 2019 as all East Coast airports, as well as New York’s LaGuardia Airport, were temporarily shut down due to delays. The impact the worker absence has had on air travel has been widely credited with pushing lawmakers—and first-term President Donald Trump—to reach a deal to end the shutdown.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has resisted the narrative that controllers gained so much power over lawmakers during previous shutdowns.
At a press conference on October 14, Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said “Air traffic controllers are not responsible for starting the shutdown, and we are not responsible for ending the shutdown. Only our elected officials are, and our elected officials need to end the shutdown today.”
The Trump administration has reportedly sought to find resources — hundreds of millions of dollars — to pay controllers and reduce the number of callouts during the shutdown.
A shutdown could worsen air traffic controller shortages
Airport controllers were already shortlisted before the shutdown began. At the Oct. 14 Nutka press conference, Daniels said there are currently 10,800 certified controllers in the U.S., compared to a target of 14,633. “They work six days a week, 10 hours a day and they usually only have four days off in the entire month. That’s already a heroic effort,” Daniels said.
The controller shortage is not due to a federal employment purge since the start of President Donald Trump’s second administration — no air traffic controllers were fired at the time. The administration had initially sent a buyout offer to air traffic controllers, but later withdrew them.
However, on February 15, a union representing FAA employees, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation fired workers who supported the restoration of air traffic control communications.
Addressing the controller shortage is not easy: The FAA hires new controllers two to three years before expected headcount losses due to retirements, firings, transfers and other reasons. According to the FAA report, this hiring period allows for sufficient training time.
Events in recent years have also presented training and hiring challenges, with the FAA citing three factors that have slowed controller hiring, including fiscal year 2013, the pandemic and, in particular, government shutdowns between 2018 and 2019.
The FAA has worked to close the labor shortage gap in recent years: By the end of September 2024, the FAA announced it had exceeded its goal of hiring 1,800 air traffic controllers — the largest number of hires in nearly a decade. But, as Daniels’ comments made clear, past hiring efforts weren’t enough.
The shutdown is ultimately in the hands of lawmakers
Since the shutdown began, the Senate has voted a dozen times on short-term stopgaps. Every effort — whether to vote on countermeasures or just a GOP stopgap — has been shot down. Democrats want health care spending incentives, which Republicans reject. Both parties stand firm with no signs.
When there’s an untimely shift, controllers will likely be out of commission and passengers will experience the frustration of delays and even cancellations. But it’s likely a combination of pressure from multiple sources — not just controller staff shortages caused by air travel gridlock — that will push lawmakers toward a deal.
Thousands of other federal employees are being furloughed while other essential workers continue to report without pay.
Social benefits, including WIC and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will be suspended beginning Nov. 1.
Permit and loan programs for small businesses have been halted.
Federal courts across the country are running out of funds and limiting proceedings.
Federal benefit application and processing services, including Social Security and Medicare, are operating at reduced levels.
The US Treasury estimates that the shutdown could cost the economy up to $15 billion in lost GDP each week.
(Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images News via Getty Images)
