The U.S. government shutdown entered its eighth day on Wednesday, impacting air travel in the country with thousands of flights having been delayed after an uptick in air traffic control and safety staff calling in sick.
While operations appeared normal at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday, with busy check-in desks and security lines, the effects of the federal government shutdown are being felt behind the scenes.
Federal employees deemed "essential," including air traffic controllers, are required to work without pay. This has led to an increase in sick calls among controllers, according to officials, exacerbating an existing staff shortage in the profession.
The absences have resulted in significant flight disruptions, causing thousands of delays at airports across the nation, as well as passenger anxieties about flight safety.
"I personally have not been impacted but I know a lot of people have. And a lot of people are very angry about it. That's not right, they deserve to be paid, they do a great job, they help keep us all safe, and I want to see them paid. I want this impasse over," said a passenger.
"It's already nerve wracking to fly because of the near misses and flight collision at DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport), so this just makes flying all the more anxiety provoking," said another air traveler, referring to an incident in 2025 when a helicopter collided with jet airliner mid-flight.
Major hubs including Atlanta, New York, and Chicago have been affected, with significant delays also reported in Nashville, Boston, Dallas and Philadelphia.
Aviation officials insist that safety remains their paramount priority. However, the longer the budget impasse in Congress continues, the more likely the disruptions are to intensify. The situation has created a shared hope among federal authorities and the traveling public for a swift resolution to the political stalemate.
The federal government of the United States began a shutdown on October 1 as a result of congressional failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, which resulted in the furlough of roughly 900,000 federal employees and left another 700,000 working without pay.
During the last major shutdown in 2018-2019 which lasted 35 days, more and more Transportation Security Administration officers took time off work as their financial hardships mounted. Some security checkpoints closed, leading to lengthy waiting times and frustration for passengers.
U.S. flight delays to worsen amid increasing air traffic staff shortages
U.S. flight delays to worsen amid increasing air traffic staff shortages
U.S. flight delays to worsen amid increasing air traffic staff shortages
