Government shutdown: Flight delays, cancellations worsen

Flight cancellations worsened again Monday as the air traffic controller shortage worsened as the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown disrupted coast-to-coast air travel.

On Monday, air traffic controllers missed their second paycheck since the shutdown, even though they were still supposed to be working. Government and union officials said some were working second jobs to make ends meet.

It’s a sign of just how serious the government shutdown’s disruptions to air travel have become: Sunday’s 2,631 U.S. flight cancellations, or 10% of the schedule, were the 4th-worst day since January 2024, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

By contrast, on Friday morning, when the Trump administration-mandated flight disruptions took effect, cancellations ranked 72nd since the beginning of last year.

The Senate made progress overnight on a deal that could end the shutdown but has yet to approve a funding bill.

Cirium said 1,432 of 25,733 scheduled flights nationwide were canceled Monday, about 5.5% of those, “and counting.” According to FlightAware, 18,576 flights were delayed and 4,519 flights were canceled over the weekend.

The cancellations also spread to mainline flights from the regional, short-haul jets that the largest U.S. airlines use for about half of their domestic flights.

United Airlines And Delta Airlines Each offered flight attendants extra pay to cover flights, according to company messages seen by CNBC. The airlines did not immediately comment. Such extra charges are common during storms or other disruptions.

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