US Air Travel Issues (Government Shutdown Oct - Nov 2025)

[elanshin]

With the US government now being in it's longest shutdown ever, the effects is starting to flow onto air travel as both ATC and TSA are federal organisations and nobody is being paid. It seems like flight cuts and cancellations are already occuring because of this, but it's possibly only a stones throw away from collapsing if this isn't sorted out soon and people being paid to work.

Also this could have long term impacts as well - people being forced to leave ATC because of this temporary shutdown may not return back and cause a struggling industry to lose even more staff.

Trump administration warns shutdown could force US airspace closures

Transport secretary says 35-day shutdown is causing severe air traffic controller shortages and warns of ‘mass chaos’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Himeno]

They were reporting 3+ (up to 5) hour TSA queues at IAH a few days ago.

If they decide to start completely shutting down airspace sectors (instead of reducing flow and going VFR), I have to wonder how much impact it will have on FAA controlled sectors outside US airspace, such as Oakland Oceanic which controls a very large part of the Northern Pacific.
Even flights between Australia and Japan pass through airspace controlled by Oakland Oceanic (unless the flight diverts via the Philippines)

 

[elanshin]

They were reporting 3+ (up to 5) hour TSA queues at IAH a few days ago.

If they decide to start completely shutting down airspace sectors (instead of reducing flow and going VFR), I have to wonder how much impact it will have on FAA controlled sectors outside US airspace, such as Oakland Oceanic which controls a very large part of the Northern Pacific.
Even flights between Australia and Japan pass through airspace controlled by Oakland Oceanic (unless the flight diverts via the Philippines)

I'd imagine they would try to keep the bare minimums going for as much as they can. It wouldn't be a complete collapse - just a cascading level of priority.

It hopefully won't reach the point where things actually start really shutting down, but theres only so much people can go on without being paid so.... up to the government now.