Trump administration warns shutdown could force US airspace closures | US federal government shutdown 2025
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that the United States could close some of its airspace if the federal government shutdown continues.
Duffy did it announcement On Tuesday, the government entered its 35th day of lockdown, breaking the record for the longest shutdown in history.
The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, has since led to a shortage of as many as 3,000 air traffic controllers, according to management; Additionally, at least 11,000 more people have been receiving zero wages despite working as essential workers in the past two weeks.
Duffy warned there could be “mass chaos” if the government was still shut down in a week’s time, adding: “You’re going to see mass flight delays. You’re going to see mass cancellations and you may see us closing parts of the airspace because we can’t manage that because we don’t have air traffic controllers.”
“Let me tell you, yes, the system is safe and if it wasn’t we would shut it down,” he added. “We’re delaying flights, we’re… telling airlines to cancel flights if we don’t have enough controllers to manage the skies effectively and safely. But it would be dishonest to say that with the closure there isn’t more risk injected into the system. There are more risks in the system.”
“Make no mistake, as this drags on, these hard-working Americans have bills to pay and are forced to make decisions and choices every day,” Duffy continued. “Do they go to work as an air traffic controller, or do they need to find a different job to get resources, to get money, to put food on their table, to put gas in their car?”
The White House released a statement on Monday. was accused Democrats favor long airport lines and flight delays. While Republicans and Democrats have been blaming each other since the shutdown, Donald Trump’s administration has accused Democrats of “picking”.[ing] Chaos every day, they refuse to act,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. swear “Not supporting a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to undermine the health care of the American people.”
Most Democrats have argued that any deal should include an extension of health tax credits to avoid sharp insurance premium increases in 2026.
Nearly 50% of the 30 busiest U.S. airports face an air traffic controller shortage, the Federal Aviation Administration said last Friday, as Republicans and Democrats continue to deadlock. Duffy echoed FAA on Monday said CNBC said there is a shortage of 2,000 to 3,000 air traffic controllers.
At least 35 FAA facilities were dealing with staffing issues, including those at major airports in New York City, Newark, Washington, Phoenix and Nashville, according to the FAA. “After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under great stress and fatigue,” the FAA said.
In addition to forcing tens of thousands of air traffic controllers to work without pay, the shutdown also left at least 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers without pay.
Last weekend, as defined by experts, “worst weekend” Since the shutdown began, passengers have faced one to five-hour waits in security lines at New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports, as well as San Diego and Houston, for air traffic controller staffing.
In a statement to the Guardian, the TSA said: “While the vast majority of TSA’s operations across the country remain minimally impacted by the government shutdown, occasional delays can be expected at some security checkpoints.
“The longer the closure lasts, the more severe the impact is on our TSA workforce who have expenses to pay, making it harder to come to work when they are not paid.”
The Guardian has reached out to the FAA for comment.
As of Tuesday afternoon, total delays within, within and outside the United States totaled 2,565 flights. In contrast, there were 4,720 delays at US airports on Monday, while a total of 5,897 delays were seen on Sunday. accordingly FlightAware.
Meanwhile, operations at Reagan Washington national airport in Washington, D.C., were temporarily suspended on Tuesday due to a bomb threat against a United Airlines aircraft. The airport’s main runway reopened shortly before 1 p.m. ET and flights have since resumed.
Several flights were made directed The airport stated that there were flights to other airports while the runways were closed, adding that the investigation was ongoing among multiple law enforcement agencies.
