Air traffic control staffing shortages have led to more flight delays at several US airports for a second consecutive day as the federal government shutdown stretched into its seventh day, as the union leaders for airport security screeners and air traffic controllers cautioned that the situation could get worse, AP reported. Staffing shortages at air traffic control have delayed flights at numerous airports, including Houston, Nashville, Dallas, Chicago O'Hare and Newark as the flight tracking data showed more than 3,000 flights have already been delayed, Reuters reported. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been reducing the number of arriving flights per hour at Chicago O'Hare due to staffing issues with an average delay of 41 minutes. Staffing shortages have also been reported from the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center. The FAA informed that staffing shortages are leading arriving flights to be held up for up to 30 minutes at Newark. Washington Reagan might also see a new slowdown due to low staff. Due to a recent lapse in funding, we know there are many questions about flight delays and staffing shortages across the system. For real-time updates at U.S. airports, including staffing and weather, visit https://t.co/9HQhAFK90u.— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) October 7, 2025 Major flight delays were also reported a day earlier in the United States, owing to a federal government shutdown which began from October 1. Delays were reported on Monday by the FAA at airports in Burbank, California, Newark, New Jersey and Denver. The FAA informed that Nashville air traffic control is bound to curtail its operations by late Tuesday due to significant staffing issues. The approach control would be taken over later by Memphis centre, it added. Blame game between the Democrats and Republicans continued amid a slowdown in the aviation sector in the US. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats for the aviation slowdown, while California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump was responsible. “I’m gravely concerned that if the government remains shut down then, that it could disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays,” Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said in a statement. (with inputs from agencies)
