Government shutdown could close aviation operations, US DOT Secretary warns

The Trump administration may temporarily close the entire US aviation system if the current government shutdown, now in its second month, makes air travel unsafe. 

“If we thought that it was unsafe [to travel], we will shut the whole airspace down,” US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy said in an interview with CNBC on November 3, 2025. “We won’t let people travel. We’re not there at this point. It’s just significant delays.” 

As the US government shutdown reached day 35 on November 4, 2025, air traffic issues have already caused widespread delays and cancellations at major US airports. 

Flight tracking website FlightAware shows that Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) saw 273 flight delays and five cancellations on November 3, 2025. Other major US airports, such as Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), also faced delays, with 225 and 189 delayed flights reported on the same day, respectively. 

In a statement, the White House said that more than 5,000 flights were delayed on November 2, 2025. 

“We’re seeing rolling thunder throughout the system. It changes day by day of what facilities are low staffed, which means we have significant delays or cancellations,” Duffy said during the interview. 

FAA controller shortages worsen delays 

Duffy pointed out that the delays are made worse by a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  

He mentioned that the FAA is currently short of 3,000 air traffic controllers, stating that these shortages have a “long term impact” on the US aviation system. 

This issue has become even more severe as many controllers are currently working without pay. On November 1, 2025, the agency announced that nearly 13,000 controllers have been working unpaid for weeks. 

Additionally, the ongoing government shutdown has raised concerns at the US DOT about wider economic effects on commercial aviation. Duffy said that the repercussions are “ricocheting through the economy” when people do not travel. 

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The US government shutdown started on October 1, 2025, after federal budget negotiations between Congress and US President Donald Trump broke down, primarily over Democratic demands to extend healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, along with broader disputes over federal spending priorities. 

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