Air traffic control staffing shortages have caused widespread flight delays for the second consecutive day across major U.S. airports, as the government shutdown entered its seventh day, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in a statement on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
According to the FAA, airports in Nashville and Newark were among the hardest hit, with arriving flights held for up to 30 minutes in Newark due to insufficient staff. The agency also reported that Nashville’s air traffic control operations were severely strained and would be scaled back later in the day, with Memphis Center taking over approach control duties.
At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest in the country, the FAA reduced the number of incoming flights per hour, citing staffing shortages that led to average delays of about 41 minutes. The Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center is also grappling with similar personnel issues.
Adding to the disruptions, severe weather across multiple states has compounded delays and cancellations.
Despite the shutdown, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are still required to report to work without pay. Controllers are expected to receive a partial paycheck on October 14, covering hours worked before the shutdown began.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on Monday that the FAA had observed a slight rise in controller absences, with staffing levels reduced by nearly 50% in some areas since the shutdown began last week.
“If we don’t have controllers, we’re going to make sure the airspace is safe. So what we do is we’ll slow traffic,” Duffy said Tuesday during an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.”
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported over 2,500 delayed flights nationwide on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, alone, including about 200 delays at Nashville, roughly 20% of its total flights, and nearly 500 delays at Chicago O’Hare, representing more than 15% of scheduled operations.
A similar scenario unfolded during the 35-day government shutdown in 2019, when rising absences among controllers and TSA staff forced authorities to slow air traffic in New York, leading to longer security lines and mounting pressure on lawmakers to end the impasse.
This latest wave of disruptions underscores the mounting strain on the U.S. aviation system as the shutdown drags on, with flight safety and efficiency increasingly at risk.
