The Federal Aviation Administration will cut 10% of flights across 40 major airports starting Friday if the federal government isn't reopened, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news conference on Wednesday.
The federal government has been shut down for 35 days. Since then, about 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay, as have many Transportation Security Administration employees.
There may be flight delays or cancellations. Our top priority is that when Americans fly, they will make it to their destination safely because @USDOT and the @FAANews have done their work. pic.twitter.com/1uDsFr5HDL
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 5, 2025
The government shutdown is impacting air travel like never before and @SecDuffy warns he may have to close parts of the airspace due to the air traffic controller shortage!
— USDOT Rapid Response (@USDOTRapid) November 5, 2025
Democrats: open up the government NOW. pic.twitter.com/aZYPFg6sZ4
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 over different funding priorities. Now, that disagreement has led to the longest federal government shutdown.
Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have voted not to reopen the government 14 times.
🚨FAA REDUCING CAPACITY AT 40 MAJOR LOCATIONS@kyleb973: "It's pretty much a complex puzzle that these airlines have to put together very quickly to make this work. And there's very short notice here." pic.twitter.com/Es9YDJRf2m
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow) November 5, 2025
Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system (NAS).
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 1, 2025
As we head into this weekend, a surge in callouts is straining staffing levels at multiple…
In Texas, some passengers saw hour-long lines, according to local media.
On Sunday, passengers at Bush Airport in Houston, Texas, stood in lines that stretched outside the airport for more than three hours as they awaited the pre-flight security screening, as the federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide. pic.twitter.com/axsIwCdfOK
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 3, 2025
It's unclear how long this shutdown will continue, but it might drag out until Thanksgiving, one of the busiest holidays for airports nationwide.
⚠ U.S. TO CUT AIR TRAFFIC 10% BY FRIDAY IF NO SHUTDOWN DEAL: RTRS
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) November 5, 2025
Democrats are flirting with disaster. They have kept the government shut down for 36 days, forcing more than 50,000 TSA agents and 13,000 air traffic controllers to go without pay. Millions of Americans are already dealing with flight delays and cancellations because of the… https://t.co/MJlA1Iqhec
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) November 5, 2025
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly asked for a meeting with Trump to discuss possibly ending the shutdown.
🚨 BREAKING: In a suspicious move, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries "DEMAND" an immediate meeting with President Trump and Congressional GOP leaders to finally end the government shutdown.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 5, 2025
The election is over, so now they're getting moving. Isn't that perfect?
They're forming… pic.twitter.com/eGl8a5jAmH
My number one priority is the safety of the American people. https://t.co/lOi3Q2rpZ7
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 5, 2025