U.S. Government Shutdown Forces Airlines to Cancel 1,460 Flights Amid Air Traffic Controller Absences

U.S. airlines canceled 1,460 flights and delayed roughly six to seven thousand more as the FAA ordered government-mandated reductions in daily flights amid a deepening air traffic controller shortage during the 39-day federal shutdown.

The FAA said staffing issues were hitting 37 towers and centers, driving delays across at least a dozen major hubs such as Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.

abcnews.go

Ground delay programs at nine airports pushed some waits in Atlanta to more than four hours.

The cuts began at 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports and are scheduled to scale up to 6% and then 10% in the coming days to preserve safety as absenteeism rises among unpaid controllers.

FAA and airline actions reflect mounting safety concerns tied to controller absenteeism during the shutdown.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford was cited as saying 20–40% of controllers were absent, while pilots filed over 500 safety reports citing controller fatigue.

AccessWdun

Ground delay programs at nine airports produced extreme waits—up to an average of 282 minutes in Atlanta.

The Star reports controllers are overworked, unpaid, and in some cases taking second jobs.

It also notes TSA agents are unpaid and absent, compounding strain across the system.

The reduction plan is phased: 4% of daily flights cut at 40 major airports starting Friday, rising to 6% by Tuesday and 10% by November 14.

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Associated Press

Across outlets, the core percentages match, but they differ in framing and emphasis.

Connect Gujarat quantifies the trend by day—about 6,000 delays Saturday versus 7,000 Friday and 1,025 Friday cancellations—while Honolulu Star-Advertiser and livemint describe roughly or nearly 6,000 delays on the second day without the cross-day comparison.

The Star underscores that the escalation is driven by overwork and lack of pay, not just staffing math.

Policy signals remain uncertain.

livemint reports that bipartisan talks showed some progress but no resolution.

BBC

livemint also adds a warning attributed to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that cuts could reach 20% if absences continue, a claim not echoed by other sources.

Meanwhile, multiple outlets cite FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford’s 20–40% absenteeism figure.

Beyond aviation, Associated Press and AccessWdun document the shutdown’s global spillover.

In Germany, the government stepped in to pay nearly 11,000 local employees at U.S. bases.

In Italy and Portugal, thousands of base workers have gone unpaid but continue working, underscoring the shutdown’s broad reach.

For travelers and airlines, the operational pain is immediate.

“GOP Senator Katie Britt of Alabama criticized Democrats for politicizing the proposal to extend subsidies for a year, stating that she believes they have taken the issue too far”

CNN

Major U.S. carriers canceled flights to comply with FAA mandates amid staffing shortfalls.

CNN

Ground delay programs and controller absences ripple through at least 12 major cities.

The Star stresses that the shutdown—described as the longest in U.S. history—has unpaid TSA agents also missing work.

Private jets are being diverted to ease congestion.

Other outlets emphasize the shutdown’s duration and unpaid status of controllers.

They frame the cancellations as an unavoidable safety step during a record 39-day stoppage.