Flight timings and cancellations are displayed on the departures board, a month into the continued U.S. authorities shutdown, at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 9, 2025.
Annabelle Gordon | Reuters
Flight cancellations have been once more piling up on Monday as air visitors controller shortages, worsened by the longest-ever U.S. authorities shutdown, snarled air journey coast to coast whereas President Donald Trump threatened to dock air visitors controllers’ pay if they’re absent from work.
On Monday, 1,623 of the 25,735 scheduled U.S. flights have been canceled, round 6.3% of the day’s schedule, although on-time departures have been higher than common, a superb signal after days of journey snarls, in keeping with aviation information agency Cirium.
Final week, the Trump administration ordered airways to chop home flights at 40 main U.S. airports beginning with 4% reductions final Friday and ramping as much as 10% by this coming Friday, Nov. 14, citing strains on air visitors controllers.
“All Air Visitors Controllers should get again to work, NOW!!!,” Trump stated in a put up on Fact Social, including that he would advocate $10,000 bonuses for any air visitors controllers who did not take any day without work in the course of the shutdown. He stated those that do not instantly return to work could be “docked.”
The Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation in response stated that air visitors controllers are “unsung heroes, who report for responsibility to soundly information this nation’s passengers and cargo to their locations.” The group stated they “deserve our reward” and “have actually earned it.”
Disruptions over the weekend included 18,576 delayed flights whereas 4,519 have been canceled, in keeping with FlightAware. Cancellations spilled over from regional, short-haul jets — which the most important U.S. airways depend on for round half of home flights — to mainline flying.
United Airways and Delta Air Traces have been every providing flight attendants additional pay to select up flights, in keeping with firm messages seen by CNBC. United was additionally providing pilots additional pay for extra flights than it normally does, an airline spokesman stated. Such additional pay is widespread throughout storms or different disruptions.
American Airways Chief Working Officer David Seymour stated Monday that 250,000 of its prospects have been affected by disruptions over the weekend, with 1,400 cancellations attributed to air visitors management.
“That is merely unacceptable, and everybody deserves higher. Our air visitors controllers need to be paid and our airline wants to have the ability to function at a stage of predictability and dependability that no main airline was in a position to present the flying public this weekend,” he stated in a word to employees that was seen by CNBC.
Airways have been waiving change charges and in some circumstances, fare variations, relying on when prospects may rebook journey. Clients may additionally request a full refund for the portion of their tickets they have been unable to fly.
An indication of how extreme air journey disruptions have develop into throughout the federal government shutdown: Sunday’s 2,631 U.S. flight cancellations, 10% of the day’s schedule, marked the fourth-worst day since January 2024, Cirium stated.
Compared, on Friday morning, as Trump administration-mandated flight cuts took impact, cancellations ranked 72nd because the begin of final 12 months.
The disruptions that upended the journey plans for a whole bunch of 1000’s of vacationers pressured them to search for different transportation. Automobile rental firm Hertz final week reported a rise in one-way demand. There’s additionally been elevated demand for personal jet flights in latest days, in keeping with the CEO of constitution and fractional possession firm Flexjet.
Although the Trump administration order did not initially require non-public aviation to chop in the identical manner as business airways, the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday started limiting these flights at a dozen U.S. airports. Nevertheless, many non-public jet operators do not use the busiest business airports, stated the Nationwide Enterprise Aviation Affiliation.
Elevated pressure
Air visitors controllers missed their second paycheck of the shutdown on Monday, although they’re nonetheless required to work. A few of them have taken second jobs to make ends meet, authorities and union officers have stated.
A business airliner takes off previous the air visitors management tower at San Diego Worldwide Airport in the course of the first day of a partial U.S. authorities shutdown in San Diego, California, U.S., Oct. 1, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
“Now, they have to deal with youngster care as an alternative of visitors flows. Meals for his or her households as an alternative of runway separation,” Nick Daniels, president of the Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation, stated at a information convention on Monday. “The added stress results in fatigue, the fatigue has led to the erosion of security and the elevated threat day-after-day that this shutdown drags on.”
The Senate made progress in a single day on a deal that might finish the shutdown, nevertheless it has not but accepted a funding invoice.
Daniels stated it is not but clear how lengthy it might take for controllers to obtain again pay for his or her work. Within the shutdown that resulted in 2019, it took about 2½ months earlier than the employees have been made entire, he stated.
Trump’s feedback about air visitors controllers on Monday drew criticism from Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., rating member of the Home Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who known as the assertion “nuts!” and stated it ran counter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s name for aviation staff’ assist.
“The ladies and men working lengthy hours in air visitors management towers to maintain the aviation system operating deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged assaults on their patriotism,” Larsen stated.
An finish to the shutdown additionally does not imply that the flight restrictions will probably be lifted instantly. The FAA final week stated it would decide whether or not to extend or lower the flight restrictions based mostly on security information.
Whereas airways had little time to make the last-minute schedule adjustments when the order got here out final week, to ramp up flying once more they’ll want time to regulate schedules, promote seats and place planes and crews.
