Travelers in the U.S. should brace for more flight disruptions as Congress has not provided the crucial relief needed for air traffic controllers and other federal aviation employees, whose salaries are now in limbo due to the ongoing government shutdown.

While President Donald Trump’s administration has redirected funds to protect certain areas, such as military pay, legislators caution that aviation workers will soon be without paychecks, potentially impacting operations next week.

Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are currently working unpaid, which is resulting in increased absenteeism and sick leaves. Since the shutdown began on October 1, air traffic control shortages have been responsible for 53% of flight delays, up significantly from the usual 5%.

On peak days, nearly 6,000 flights have experienced delays, and several major airports have had to implement ground stops due to staffing shortages. On Friday alone, over 3,800 flights were delayed nationwide, including a significant 75-minute ground stop at Newark, causing all outbound flights to be held at their departure points.

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concerns on Thursday, stating that the government is depleting its resources necessary to fund critical jobs, including those in the aviation sector, which are essential for maintaining air travel operations.

‘There is not an existing amount of money that could cover the air-traffic controllers’ salaries right now,’ the Louisiana congressman admitted.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was at that press conference with Johnson, warned Americans would face direct impacts: ‘I can’t guarantee that your flight is going to be on time. I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not gonna be canceled.’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed during Thursday’s briefing that air traffic controllers are ‘forced’ to take on second jobs like ‘driving for Uber’ in order to ‘make ends meet’ during the shutdown. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned air traffic controller shortages from the government shutdown will cause delays and canceled flights

Since the shutdown began on October 1, air control absences have contributed to 53% of all flight delays compared to the usual 5%

On Thursday alone more than 210 staffing shortages at FAA facilities caused ground delays at major hub airports in Texas, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C.

One extreme example of staffing issues on October 7 at the Hollywood Burbank Airport in California caused the control tower to shut down entirely. This forced flights to operate under visual flight rules, which are typically used at smaller, uncontrolled airports.

Congressman Tim Burchett, who sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the Daily Mail that it is on Democrats to agree to end the shutdown to get these workers paid and flights back on schedule.

He claimed that Republicans would have to ‘yield to the hostage situation’ of the Democratic Party to be able to give relief to these workers.

‘We’re not going to be able to do it,’ the Tennessee lawmaker admitted.

With no end in sight for the shutdown that’s now in its fourth week, it’s not clear if DOT, FAA or Congress are doing anything to try and fill the pay gaps or prepare for the busty travel coming up in November and December.

The Transportation Department did not respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment on action being taken to address flight delays and cancellations as a result of the shutdown.

‘With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, we are nearing the busiest travel period of the entire year, when millions of Americans will go to airports to spend time with their loved ones,’ Leavitt said on Thursday. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arrives to speak during a press briefing at the White House, Thursday

‘Let us be very clear from the White House today’ she added, ‘if the Democrats continue to keep the government closed we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season.’

‘If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel.’

Forecasts from groups like Airlines for America (A4A) and TSA indicate there will be a record-breaking number of passengers using U.S. air travel November through January 1, 2026.

In the Thanksgiving period from November 22 through December 2, its estimated that U.S. airlines will transport more than 31 million passengers – up from 29 million in the same time period in 2024.

And for the broader December holidays more than 54 million passengers are expected to take U.S. carriers.