Flight Disruptions Will Persist Even after Shutdown Ends, Airlines Warn

The Washington Post

12:38 JST, November 12, 2025

ETS, CAREER-WORKPLACE, FEATURES, TRAVEL, NATIONAL, CONGRESS, WHITEHOUSE, TRANSPORTATION · Nov 12, 2025 – 10:28 AM

As a fifth day of flight disruptions played out Tuesday, airlines cautioned that it will take time for travel schedules to snap back even if an agreement to reopen the federal government goes the distance.

A Senate bill to end the shutdown is expected to be taken up by the House on Wednesday. But should lawmakers fail to move quickly, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy warned Tuesday, there will be serious consequences for air travel.

“If the House doesn’t pass this bill you’re going to look at Saturday, Sunday and Monday as tiddlywinks,” Duffy said, referring to a three-day span that saw nearly 7,000 flight cancellations and more than 28,000 delays. “It’s going to get much worse than that.”

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce their schedules at 40 major U.S. airports, beginning with a 4 percent rollback Friday. The head of the agency Bryan Bedford said the reductions were necessary to reduce the strain on the aviation system as controllers and other frontline federal workers continued to work without pay during the shutdown, now the longest in history.

Operations appeared to stabilize on Tuesday. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, said 1,148 flights were canceled as of Tuesday afternoon – slightly over 5 percent. In terms of the share of flights affected, LaGuardia Airport in New York and Logan International Airport in Boston were the hardest hit, at 12 and 8 percent, respectively.

But with lawmakers closing in on a possible deal to reopen the government, there is hope the regular flight operations can be restored as the industry prepares to ramp up for the Thanksgiving holidays, when an estimated 31 million people are expected to travel.

Even with a possible end to the shutdown in sight, Duffy offered no specific timeline for when airlines would be allowed to fully resume operations, saying that any decision will be driven by data. Aviation leaders also warned that any ramp-up will take time.

“Airlines’ reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full capacity right after the government reopens. It will take time, and there will be residual effects for days,” cautioned Airlines for America, a trade group that represents the nation’s biggest carriers, including American, Delta, Southwest and United.

Added Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association: “The shutdown isn’t a light switch. It’s not just on and it’s not just off.”

By Tuesday, carriers trimmed 6 percent of flights from their schedules, up from 4 percent enacted last Friday. Unless the administration revises the order, carriers must cut 10 percent of flights they operate at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth International and Los Angeles International by this coming Friday.

During his appearance Tuesday at O’Hare, Duffy also said he would move quickly to pay air traffic controllers, who missed their second paycheck this week. He said they will receive 70 percent of their back pay 24 to 48 hours after the government reopens and the remainder within a week.

Duffy has been a high-profile presence during the shutdown, holding almost weekly briefings and meeting with air traffic controllers at airports, including Newark Liberty International and Reagan National Airport.

During a Monday news conference, Daniels said the missed paychecks were taking a toll on members, who were driving for DoorDash in their off-hours or donating plasma to ensure they could pay their bills.

“No American should ever be forced to work without a paycheck,” he added. “To not pay someone for the work that they have performed is un-American, and failing to pay that workforce that keeps our sky safe is not acceptable, and it is not sustainable.”

In a Monday social media post, President Donald Trump exhorted air traffic controllers to return to work and threatened repercussions for those who did not. He criticized those who took time off during the shutdown and praised those who continued working, saying they deserve bonuses. On Tuesday, Duffy endorsed that plan suggesting the checks could be distributed during a White House ceremony.

Airlines have sought to limit the effects on consumers, focusing their cutbacks on smaller regional routes and reducing the number of flights on high-frequency routes. International routes are not affected by the cuts.

Airlines are required to issue full refunds for canceled flights. Travelers are also eligible for a full refund if they opt not to travel for a flight delayed by more than three hours on a domestic route and more than six hours if flying internationally.

In a text message to customers Monday, Delta Air Lines said it had completed Federal Aviation Administration-directed cancellations through Wednesday. However, the carrier is still urging ticket holders to check their flight status.

Bedford said even though the system continued to perform relatively well during the shutdown, a review of confidential safety reports and other internal data raised concerns about the toll the shutdown was taking on essential workers, including controllers.

In response, Rep. Rick Larsen (Washington), the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, emphasized that while safety should be prioritized above all else, the administration was taking a “dramatic and unprecedented step that demands more transparency.”

Even when the shutdown is resolved, the same issues that have plagued the system for years will remain. The FAA remains roughly 3,000 certified controllers short of what it needs to be fully staffed, which means that many will continue to work mandatory overtime – 10-hour days, six days a week.