Flight timings and cancellations are displayed on the departures board, a month into the continuing 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 site 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 site visitors controllers’ pay if they’re absent from work.
On Monday, 1,432 of the 25,733 scheduled flights throughout the nation have been canceled, round 5.5% “and rising,” in accordance 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 site visitors controllers.
“All Air Visitors Controllers should get again to work, NOW!!!,” Trump mentioned in a put up on Fact Social, including that he would advocate $10,000 bonuses for any air site visitors controllers who did not take any time without work through the shutdown. He mentioned those that do not instantly return to work could be “docked.”
The Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation, their union, did not instantly reply to Trump’s feedback on Monday.
Disruptions over the weekend included 18,576 delayed flights whereas 4,519 have been canceled, in accordance 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 Strains have been every providing flight attendants further pay to choose up flights, in accordance with firm messages seen by CNBC. United was additionally providing pilots further pay for extra flights than it often does, an airline spokesman mentioned. Such further pay is widespread throughout storms or different disruptions.
American Airways Chief Working Officer David Seymour mentioned Monday that 250,000 of its clients have been affected by disruptions over the weekend, with 1,400 cancellations attributed to air site visitors management.
“That is merely unacceptable, and everybody deserves higher. Our air site visitors controllers need to be paid and our airline wants to have the ability to function at a degree of predictability and dependability that no main airline was capable of present the flying public this weekend,” he mentioned in a observe to workers that was seen by CNBC.
Airways have been waiving change charges and in some circumstances, fare variations, relying on when clients might rebook journey. Prospects might 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 turn out to be 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 mentioned.
As 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 tons of of 1000’s of vacationers pressured them to search for various transportation. Automotive rental firm Hertz final week reported a rise in one-way demand. There’s additionally been elevated demand for personal jet flights in current days, in accordance 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 industrial 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 industrial airports, mentioned the Nationwide Enterprise Aviation Affiliation.
Elevated pressure
Air site 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 mentioned.
“Now, they have to concentrate on little one care as a substitute of site visitors flows. Meals for his or her households as a substitute of runway separation,” Nick Daniels, president of the Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation, mentioned 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 on daily basis 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 authorized a funding invoice.
Daniels mentioned it is not but clear how lengthy it will 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 complete, he mentioned.
Trump’s feedback about air site visitors controllers on Monday drew criticism from Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., rating member of the Home Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who referred to as the assertion “nuts!” and mentioned it ran counter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s name for aviation employees’ assist.
“The ladies and men working lengthy hours in air site visitors management towers to maintain the aviation system operating deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged assaults on their patriotism,” Larsen mentioned.
That is breaking information. Examine again for updates.
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