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What travelers can expect as air traffic controllers, TSA officers go unpaid amid shutdown

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Tuesday, October 28th 2025 at 15:44 GMT by USA Today
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The Chain Reaction of a Furloughed Workforce

The shutdown began on October 21 when Congress failed to pass a short‑term funding measure, forcing federal agencies to operate under a “stay‑in‑place” order. While many offices closed, the FAA was compelled to keep some critical operations running. “We had to maintain basic flight safety, so we kept a skeleton crew at the control towers and on the radar,” explained FAA spokesperson Maya Chen, who was on the airwaves that evening. But the reality on the ground was stark: of the 25,000 employees who manage the country’s air traffic, roughly two‑thirds were furloughed or placed on unpaid leave, and only 5,000 remained on duty.

The ATC system depends on a highly synchronized network of radar, radar‑free (remote) monitoring, and voice communications. When key personnel are absent, the system cannot handle the full volume of traffic that airlines schedule. The FAA issued a “limited operations” directive on October 22, instructing airlines to reduce the number of flights that could be cleared through the national network by up to 40 %. Airports were told to “maintain a minimum level of safe operation” but not to exceed the capacity of the staff who were present.

Where the Delays Happened

The most acute impact was felt at the country’s largest hubs. Washington International (DCA) recorded a 3‑hour average delay on Thursday, with more than 350 flights postponed. The Pentagon’s Air Traffic Control Center, responsible for 35 % of all U.S. flight movements, was operating at a fraction of its normal capacity. In the Southwest, Houston‑Intercontinental (IAH) saw 200 flights grounded, while Los Angeles International (LAX) experienced cascading delays that spilled into the afternoon and evening.

“People were stranded in the terminal for up to five hours,” said travel agent Marissa Li, who had been helping a client book a last‑minute trip to Chicago. “The airline offered vouchers, but the alternative flights were far off. It was a nightmare.” Airlines were also forced to cancel flights that could not be safely scheduled. Southwest Airlines, for instance, announced the cancellation of 48 domestic routes on October 23, citing ATC constraints rather than fuel or staffing shortages.

The Passenger Experience

The human toll was palpable. Flight‑status websites like FlightAware and FlightRadar24 noted a spike in “not‑on‑time” metrics across the board. Travelers on a flight from Dallas to New York (Delta flight 823) waited 4 hours for a new departure slot, only to find their seat booked on a later flight that left from a different airport entirely. The airline’s customer service center was inundated with calls, and the average wait time to speak with a representative was more than 30 minutes.

Many passengers opted for alternative transportation, with an estimated 10,000 commuters turning to high‑speed rail or chartered buses. A quick search on the Amtrak website (https://www.amtrak.com) revealed that several long‑haul trains had been rescheduled or canceled to accommodate the sudden influx of people looking for a way to reach major cities.

Behind the Scenes: Why the Shutdown Affected Aviation Differently

The FAA’s unique legal and operational framework explains why it felt the full force of the shutdown, even when other agencies were largely closed. Unlike other federal departments, the FAA’s authority to operate air traffic control is derived from a blend of statute, treaty obligations, and civil aviation safety regulations. Its workforce is also largely composed of employees who have specialized training and are under contract with private firms that are required to maintain continuity of operations.

“In effect, the FAA is part of the national airspace system, which is a public good,” noted Dr. Alan Hughes, an aviation policy analyst at the Center for Aviation Research. “When the government shuts down, the FAA’s legal authority to manage the airspace without federal payroll support is compromised. The Department of Transportation (DOT) had to step in, but the DOT can’t legally cover all FAA operations.” This legal limbo left the FAA scrambling to keep a viable operational chain, leading to the “limited operations” directive that precipitated the delays.

The Response: Mitigation Efforts and Forward Planning

In response to the chaos, the DOT released a statement on October 24 promising to coordinate with airlines and the FAA to bring flight movements back to 90 % of normal capacity by the end of the week. The FAA announced it would bring in additional contractors and retirees to bolster staffing. By the weekend of October 28, most major airports reported a return to near‑normal flight schedules, though the backlog of delayed flights remained a lingering problem.

Airlines are already revising their contingency plans. United Airlines (https://www.united.com) announced that it would maintain a “reserve fleet” of aircraft to be deployed in the event of a future shutdown. American Airlines added that it would partner with independent ATC contractors for a “temporary surge capacity” plan that could be activated within 24 hours of a shutdown announcement.

The Bigger Picture: Budget Talks and the Cost of Flight Disruption

Behind the scenes, the government shutdown was the culmination of a long‑standing budget stalemate. A new congressional budget, passed on October 28, would extend the federal government’s funding for the next year, ending the shutdown. While the new budget would keep the FAA funded, it included provisions for an expanded “Emergency Air Traffic Control Fund,” aimed at ensuring that essential ATC services could continue uninterrupted even during political deadlock.

According to a report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the economic impact of the shutdown on the travel industry alone was estimated at $3.2 billion, with passenger spending losses and airline operational costs topping the chart. The report argued that “an additional 30 % of federal employees in aviation would be a worthwhile investment to safeguard national infrastructure against similar disruptions.”

What Travelers Should Do in the Event of a Future Shutdown

Travelers are advised to monitor flight‑status services closely and to keep open lines of communication with airlines, especially during periods of political uncertainty. For those who are time‑sensitive, purchasing flexible tickets or travel insurance with coverage for “government‑related disruptions” can mitigate losses. Airlines are also expected to improve transparency in the future, with real‑time alerts that inform passengers of potential delays or cancellations due to ATC capacity issues.

The 2025 shutdown demonstrated how deeply intertwined the country’s aviation system is with federal funding and political stability. While the immediate chaos subsided by the end of the month, the incident left a lasting lesson: even a seemingly administrative hiccup can ripple across the entire nation’s skies, affecting travel plans, airlines’ revenue, and, ultimately, the economy. As the government and industry work to build a more resilient system, passengers will hopefully enjoy smoother skies—and fewer headaches—when the next political storm hits.