"It's starting to look like the lingering government shutdown could scramble holiday air travel plans. Delays at airports recently spiked, and government officials and transportation watchers alike warn we could be on the precipice of a wider slowdown. Staffing shortages have been ricocheting through the system, affecting air traffic control, where employees have been working without pay for a month, and airport security lines, where TSA workers are also working without pay."
"Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium shows that about 20% of flights at major US airports, or about 1 in 5, departed late in October 2025 - only about two percentage points worse than September. Still, the shutdown has pushed October's delays above prior years. FAA data shows the rate of delayed departures in October was about 12.8% in 2024, about 14.7% in 2023, and about 16% in 2022."
"Airports like Los Angeles and Burbank experienced temporary closures earlier in the month, but Cirium said a broader slowdown didn't peak until October 30 - nearly a month after the shutdown began - when the average delay rate at most major airports spiked to more than 30%. And the ripple effects are building. A staffing shortage at one air traffic facility can force flights to be held at their origin or rerouted around congested airspace hundreds of miles away."
Holiday travelers should expect growing flight and airport delays if the government shutdown continues. Staffing shortages are affecting air traffic control and TSA, with many employees working without pay into a second month. Cirium data shows about 20% of flights at major US airports departed late in October 2025, roughly two percentage points worse than September. October's delay rates exceeded prior years, and a broader slowdown peaked on October 30 with average delays above 30% at major airports. Staffing gaps can force flights to be held at origin or rerouted around congested airspace, widening disruptions.
Read at Business Insider
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