Thousands of flights have been canceled amid the longest government shutdown in history, with officials warning that disruptions could increase ahead of the Thanksgiving travel period.
Why It Matters
A combination of staffing shortages linked to the ongoing federal government shutdown and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to limit operations at major U.S. airports has led to widespread delays and cancellations over the past 24 to 48 hours.
What To Know
The FAA directed airlines to reduce flight operations by 4 percent on Saturday at 40 major airports, citing the shutdown’s impact on personnel. The agency said the reductions will increase to 6 percent on Tuesday and 10 percent by November 14. The drop in air traffic has affected major hubs including Atlanta; New York area airports; Newark, New Jersey; Chicago; and San Francisco, among others.
Flight-tracking service FlightAware’s “Misery Map,” which visualizes delays and cancellations at major hubs, has become a commonly used tool for travelers and reporters tracking the disruption.
Flight Aware’s Misery Map shows the number of delays at certain times throughout the day, based on a four-hour time frame, two hours before and after the specific time.
According to the map, there were 720 flight delays and 184 cancellations across U.S. airports at noon ET on November 8. Charlotte, North Carolina, had the highest number of disruptions during this period with 84 delays and 27 cancellations, followed by Chicago O’Hare with 66 delays and 9 cancellations, and Newark with 49 delays and nine cancellations. Other major hubs, including Atlanta, Houston, New York-area airports, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Miami, also experienced significant delays.
A map showing the number of flight delays at different airports at 5 p.m. ET on November 8.
The map shows widespread disruptions at major U.S. airports on the evening of November 8 at around 5 p.m., with a total of 914 delays and 229 cancellations during that period. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson experienced the highest number of delays at 140, followed by Chicago O’Hare with 74 delays and 23 cancellations, and New York-area airports, including JFK, Newark, and New York City’s LaGuardia, reporting significant disruptions as well. Other busy hubs such as San Francisco, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Miami also saw elevated delays and cancellations.
Air traffic controllers have not received pay for nearly a month during the ongoing government shutdown, contributing to increased absences and existing staffing shortages.
According to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, many controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week without pay, and some have taken on additional jobs to meet financial obligations.
The shutdown has prompted a steady exchange of blame between Democrats and Republicans, with top officials on each side framing the cause and solution differently. GOP lawmakers and President Donald Trump’s White House have pointed to Democratic opposition in Congress and urged a “clean” funding bill to reopen government operations; the White House has publicly blamed Democrats for the operational strains now visible at airports.
What People Are Saying
Senate Republicans wrote in a post on X: “Americans are missing flights because Democrats are holding government funding hostage.”
Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson wrote in a post on X: “Republicans control the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House. This Republican government shutdown is impacting millions of Americans who are missing their paychecks and food benefits. The next impact? Delays and cancellations at SeaTac [Seattle-Tacoma] airport.”
What Happens Next
Airlines and government agencies advise passengers to check the status of their specific flights with carriers, monitor FlightAware and airline notifications, allow extra time at airports where lines and rebooking needs are likely, and consider flexible plans for the coming week, particularly as the Thanksgiving travel period approaches and the FAA’s contingency reductions could change again if staffing patterns worsen.
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