Flight cancellations ‘only going to get worse,’ transportation secretary says
The government shutdown’s impact on airports in the United States is “only going to get worse” and could extend into the holiday season, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said Sunday, adding that thousands of flights will continue to be canceled as air traffic controllers work without pay - and some start taking on other jobs to pay bills.
“The two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel being reduced to a trickle,” Duffy told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Asked how many Americans might not be able to return home to their families on Thanksgiving, Duffy said “the number is going to be substantial.”
The disruption comes after an emergency order by the Federal Aviation Administration reduced the number of flights to cut strain on the country’s air traffic controllers, most of whom are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay. Some controllers are choosing to retire and others are looking for other ways to make ends meet.
“We have controllers who, again, are making decisions to feed their families,” Duffy said. “I want them to come to work, the problem is they’re confronted with real economic problems.”
More than 1,400 flights scheduled for Sunday have been canceled, marking a third consecutive day of widespread air travel disruptions, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Airlines are required to issue full refunds for canceled flights, The Washington Post previously reported.
More than 200 of Sunday’s canceled flights were scheduled to depart or arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the country’s busiest, making it the hardest hit, according to FlightAware’s data. Airports in New York, Charlotte, Chicago and Orlando are also set to suffer high numbers of cancellations and delays, according to the tracker. By Tuesday, a 6 percent reduction in flights is expected at dozens of airports.
Airlines for America, the trade group that represents the major U.S. airlines, said Sunday that more than 4 million passengers have been disrupted since the start of October.
Congress remained at an impasse over the weekend on a deal to reopen the government. Senate Republicans on Friday rejected a Democratic proposal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies for a year.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) said he would keep the chamber in session until an agreement is reached to reopen the government. The Trump administration on Saturday also ordered states to stop issuing full benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program amid an ongoing court battle over the government’s ability to issue food aid during the shutdown.
Duffy told CNN on Sunday that the FAA is facing a shortage of around 1,000 to 2,000 air traffic controllers. Around 15 to 20 air traffic controllers are retiring a day, which could impact staffing even after the government reopens, Duffy said.
“This is going to live on in air travel well beyond the time frame that this government opens back up,” he said.
Duffy said the flight reductions are necessary because of the pressure controllers are under.
“I have more complaints coming into the FAA from pilots who are saying that air traffic controllers are not as responsive, they seem stressed or they’re not using the appropriate language because they’re under pressure,” Duffy said.
Duffy also rejected accusations from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) that the FAA’s flight reductions are “transparently political.” On social media Saturday, Duffy blamed Democrats for the growing air travel fiasco and urged Americans to reach out to Democratic members of Congress.
Duffy added that private jet travel is also being restricted, and the Trump administration has reduced its volume at high-traffic airports and redirected them to smaller airports or airfields. “That’s only fair,” he wrote.
Later Saturday, Schumer posted on X, “Instead of negotiating with Democrats, Republicans would rather let air-traffic controllers go unpaid, they’d rather ground flights, and they’d rather punish travelers.”
“Instead of governing, Republicans are playing games with people’s livelihoods,” he added.
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Video: Travelers expressed concern about their safety with fewer air traffic controllers working at the Washington area's Reagan National Airport on Nov. 7.(c) 2025 , The Washington Post
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