The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has not caused any major disruption to domestic commercial flights or halted the recruitment of new air traffic controllers, according to Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“There were no significant impacts to date. I would say there wasn’t any major damage,” Walsh stated on Wednesday during the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon.
Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported staffing shortages that led to flight delays at several airports, including Newark and Denver. However, the situation has not escalated to the extent seen during the 35-day shutdown in 2019, when air traffic in New York was slowed, pressuring lawmakers to resolve the impasse.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and around 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are required to continue working without pay during the shutdown, with controllers expected to miss their first paycheck on October 14.
Walsh highlighted a positive development amid the crisis: the continued hiring of new air traffic controllers.
“That’s a significant change from past events and a very positive development. So hopefully we’ll see this issue resolved quickly,” he said.
On the global front, Walsh noted that IATA continues to observe strong demand in both passenger and cargo sectors. The association projects passenger traffic growth to slow to 5.8% year-on-year in 2025, compared to 10.6% in 2024, with year-to-date growth standing at 5%.
