People in line to check in American Airlines flights at Chicago.
More than 2,700 U.S. flights were canceled on Sunday, with thousands more delayed, as the federal government shutdown entered its third week. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air travel could “slow to a trickle” if the impasse continues into the Thanksgiving travel rush.
Shutdown Disrupts Major U.S. Airports
Operations at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports were hit hard over the weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered flight cuts due to staff shortages, as many unpaid air traffic controllers stopped reporting for duty.
By Sunday, nearly 10,000 delays were reported nationwide, alongside 2,700 cancellations, according to FlightAware. This followed 1,000 cancellations on Friday and 1,500 on Saturday, marking the worst weekend yet for travelers.
The FAA’s flight reductions, which began at 4% on Friday, are expected to rise to 10% by November 14, covering all commercial flights between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time.
Weather Adds to Woes
The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta topped the list for cancellations, followed by Chicago O’Hare, where wintry weather made conditions worse.
The National Weather Service issued warnings for freezing temperatures across Georgia through Tuesday. Some passengers faced long delays and multiple rebookings.
Traveler Kyra March, who flew from Tampa, shared her ordeal: “My flight got delayed again and again, then canceled. I had to stay in a hotel and try again the next morning.”
At Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, empty terminals and quiet security checkpoints painted a stark picture of the ongoing disruption.
Delays Ripple Across the Country
The FAA cited severe staffing shortages at Newark and LaGuardia airports, causing average departure delays of 75 minutes.
Across the country, airlines struggled to manage stranded passengers, disrupted schedules, and mounting cancellations as the impact of the shutdown deepened.
Duffy Warns of a Thanksgiving Travel Crisis
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a grim warning on Sunday, saying the situation could deteriorate further.
“If this continues,” he said, “air travel will slow to a trickle as people try to visit family for Thanksgiving.”
He added that more flight cuts, possibly up to 20%, could become necessary if controllers continue to work without pay.
“Every day, more controllers stop coming to work,” Duffy told Fox News Sunday. “With very few controllers on duty, you’ll have thousands of cancellations and massive disruption.”
Staffing Shortages Reach Critical Levels
The United States has faced a shortage of air traffic controllers for years, but the shutdown has made the problem worse. Duffy revealed that 15 to 20 controllers a day are opting for early retirement rather than continuing unpaid work.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered to lend military air traffic controllers, though it remains unclear whether they are certified to handle civilian operations.
Duffy rejected claims from Democrats that the flight cuts were politically motivated. “I needed to act to keep people safe,” he said. “This is not politics. This is about avoiding mid-air accidents in an overstressed system.”
Airlines Report Record Delays
The trade group Airlines for America said staffing-related delays totaled more than 3,000 hours on Saturday, the highest yet since the shutdown began.
It estimated that 71% of total delay time was caused by controller shortages. Between October 1 and November 7, more than 4 million passengers faced disruptions due to the crisis.
Travel Chaos Could Worsen
With the holiday travel season approaching, airlines and passengers brace for even greater challenges. If the shutdown continues, experts warn that flight cancellations and delays could multiply — grounding millions during one of America’s busiest travel weeks.
