Airports across the U.S. are struggling under a massive wave of flight delays and cancellations as the federal government shutdown continues, straining an air traffic control system where thousands are working without pay.
The crisis is clearly tracked on the FlightAware Misery Map, which pinpoints the worst-affected travel hubs.
Data from the map reveals the dramatic scale of disruption, with over 21,000 delays recorded throughout the day on Sunday, and more than 7,000 additional delays already logged early Monday morning.
The ongoing political stalemate over federal funding legislation means that approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers are going without pay, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This has led to growing frustration and uncertainty in departure lounges nationwide.
The situation escalated dramatically on Sunday when the FAA issued a ground stop advisory—one of the most severe traffic management tools available—which effectively suspended all takeoffs across various areas.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has repeatedly warned that controllers are becoming “increasingly overworked and financially stressed” as they forgo paychecks. The result has been a wave of sick calls, with staffing reportedly reduced by as much as 50 percent in some air traffic control areas.
Secretary Duffy wrote in a recent post on Sunday, “Flying is safe. When staffing dips, the @FAANews reduces flight volume. But let’s be clear—what the Democrats are doing is adding more risk to an already stressed system.” He further claimed on Saturday that “More than half—64.8 percent—of yesterday’s flight delays were due to staffing in air traffic control towers. That’s a RECORD for this shutdown.”
Looming Thanksgiving Disaster
The growing disruption has sparked particular concern for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday in November, a historically busy travel period. Last year’s Thanksgiving travel hit record numbers.
Vice President JD Vance warned last Thursday that if the shutdown continues into November, air travel “could be a disaster,” noting that controllers will have “missed three paychecks, they’ve missed four paychecks.”
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