American travelers saw a flicker of hope with the promised reopening of the federal government, but ongoing mandated flight cancellations and some nasty weather in parts of the country could continue causing travel misery in the coming days.
As of Tuesday afternoon, over 1,200 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled for the day, according to the data tracker FlightAware. There were over 2,000 delays as of 2 p.m. ET.
The percentage of flights required to be cut by the Federal Aviation Administration was originally expected to increase to 6% from 4% at 40 major airports on Tuesday, the first bump on the ramp-up to a full 10% of cuts by Friday. It’s unclear whether or when a newly passed Senate funding package to reopen the federal government – and end weeks of payless work for air traffic controllers – will have an impact on the planned cancellations.
In a news conference Tuesday afternoon from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic controllers will receive 70% of their pay within 24 to 48 hours of the government reopening. “The House has to do its work,” Duffy said.
Thousands of flights have been cut since Duffy ordered the cancellations to begin last Friday, Nov. 7. On Monday, the travel woes were compounded by a Chicago-area winter storm that grounded even more flights.
Among goals for the FAA under Duffy, the transportation secretary promised to modernize equipment air traffic controllers use.
“Air traffic controllers need brand new equipment,” said Duffy, noting air traffic controllers are still using paper flight strips which he called “great 1985 technology” but outdated. “It’s a blast from the past but we should live today and technology from today.”
Congress has allocated $12.5 billion to the FAA, said Duffy, short of the $31.5 billion he says is needed for the program he envisions.
In addition to changing to digital flight strips, the secretary said he wants to build a digital platform for managing the skies. Duffy estimated the program would take more than three years. He said the agency would likely look to hire a private company for the project.
“The FAA does a great job at safety, they don’t know how to build,” Duffy said. We’re going to have radios, new voice switches, new radar, new telecom, we’re going to have to switch from analog to digital.”
-Michael Loria
Air traffic controllers will receive 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours after the government reopens, with the remaining 30% arriving about a week later, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on a news conference on Nov. 11.
“They’re going to get money in their bank accounts very quickly,” he said, thanking Congress for ensuring controllers are “made whole” after working without pay during the shutdown.
Shortages of air traffic controllers is one of the key reasons the FAA ordered flight reductions at 40 airports across the nation starting Nov. 7. He said the FAA is still short about 2,000 air traffic controllers.
During a news conference in Chicago, Duffy urged the House to follow the Senate and vote to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
If the House doesn’t act and the government remains shuttered, Duffy warned of dire consequences for the nation’s air traffic system. Some airlines, he said, may choose to ground their fleets.
“If the House doesn’t pass this bill, I think you’re going to look at Saturday, Sunday and Monday as tiddlywinks. It was beautiful. It’s going to get much worse than that.”
Duffy said Tuesday the travel system is slowly stabilizing after a chaotic weekend of delays and cancellations caused by air traffic controller shortages during the government shutdown. “Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were very rough travel days,” he said, “however, today has been a much better day.”
“I don’t have a crystal ball for you, but I can tell you what we’re seeing with all of our equities, there will be real disruption,” Duffy said when asked by a reporter about massive disruptions that may be ahead if the government doesn’t reopen. “Oh, I think it’s going to be more than 10%. I think we might find airlines that have to make decisions, do they keep flying? If this doesn’t open, you might have airlines that say ‘We’re going to ground our planes. We’re not going to fly anymore.’ That’s how serious this is.”
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby thanked employees on Tuesday for working through the weekend as the company cut hundreds of flights in response to the FAA directive.
Kirby said the weekend, during which flight delays topped 10,000, saw more FAA staffing triggers than ever before. Despite the disruptions, Kirby said the company saw some of the highest net promoter scores, which measure how likely a customer is to promote United to their friends, family or colleagues, since 2022.
“It’s clear that the way that you have come together to take care of our customers has made an impact and is a genuine reflection of Good Leads The Way,” Kirby wrote in his letter to employees.
The four major airline operators in the U.S. – Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines – have canceled hundreds of flights to adhere to the FAA’s reduction demands.
The good news for stressed travelers? All four carriers have nixed the usual fines and fees that would apply to last-minute changes and cancellations, even for tickets that are usually non-refundable.
And smaller mainland U.S. airlines including JetBlue, Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit, and Frontier are taking a cue from the big four, offering similar fee-free changes and cancellations. Here’s what to know about how to change or cancel your trip.
-Mary Walrath-Holdridge
Folks flying through or to California are in for a rough ride this week, weather forecasters cautioned.
Air – and road – travelers will likely confront weather delays in the West, including California, as a potent atmospheric river storm slams the region late Wednesday and on Thursday.
In California, travelers should anticipate hazardous road and air travel throughout the state, AccuWeather warned, which added that “the combination of drenching rain, heavy mountain snow and strong winds will likely cause transportation delays, affect freight and airline operations, and increase risks of power interruptions and mudslides.”
Heavy snow will wreak road havoc in the mountains, while coastal and valley areas see heavy, potentially flooding rain and even mudslides. All the airports in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas are forecast to see rain, potentially sparking delays and cancellations.
Meanwhile, travelers in the East will continue to endure heavy snow near the Great Lakes and frigid cold as far south as Florida.
-Doyle Rice
As of Tuesday afternoon, flight cancellations and delays were most pronounced at airports in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., with a few other areas also facing higher issues, according to FlightAware data for flights between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET.
The single airport facing the most issues at about 12:30 p.m. was Chicago O’Hare International Airport, with 40 delays and 22 cancellations. Chicago has seen cancellations due to winter weather in addition to government-mandated cuts in recent days. Chicago Midway International Airport had another five delays and four cancellations.
At New York regional airports, a combined 89 delays and 28 cancellations were impacting travelers between that time period.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines, had 24 delays and 14 cancellations from 10 to 2.
Though mandated flight cuts impact 40 of the nation’s airports and air carriers are mainly cutting service through their regional partners, meaning flights between large hubs and smaller cities and towns are most likely to be affected, the entire system has become discombobulated. The effects are likely to stretch into the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Typically, with a storm, one airline can recover operations within 48 to 72 hours after the weather event has finished ‒ but that’s when one hub is impacted,” Tiffany Funk, co-founder and president of the travel-tech company point.me, said. “This is unprecedented, and it’s also storm season. I don’t think we’ll see equal recovery. Airports will come online at different rates, which means airlines won’t be equally impacted.”
Airlines for America, the industry’s main trade group, warned that “more than 3.5 million passengers have experienced delays or cancellations because of air-traffic-control staffing concerns since the shutdown began,” calling the situation “not sustainable” with an all-time-high 31 million passengers expected between Nov. 21 and Dec. 1.
-Zach Wichter
The House of Representatives could begin voting as early as 4 p.m. on Nov. 12 to approve legislation reopening the government and sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. The House vote is the next step to reopening the government, which would begin the process of getting flight traffic back on track.
The Senate voted Nov. 10 on a funding patch through Jan. 30. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, notified lawmakers to return to the Capitol by Nov. 12, when the chamber will reconvene at noon. Multiple series of votes are expected. The House often votes on motions such as whether to adjourn or reconsider legislation before voting to finally approve a contentious bill.
-Bart Jansen
Despite the government shutdown expected to come to a close, travelers should still brace for delays and cancellations in the coming days.
“I would expect really bumpy operations and pretty brutal travel experiences, at least throughout the week,” said Tiffany Funk, co-founder and president of point.me, which specializes in points-based travel. “Even if funding were magically restored today, this is going to take a long time to reset.”
The longer the cancellations and flight disruptions continue, the longer it will take to restore, experts told USA TODAY, and the pace of recovery could vary at different airports and across airlines. Air traffic controllers, whose work can include long hours and mandated overtime, may not immediately return to work in full force.
In the meantime, Ahmed Abdelghany, associate dean for research at the David B. O’Maley College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, recommended travelers keep an eye on their flight’s status via the airline’s mobile app or website, and get to the airport “well in advance” in case there are long waits at security. He said it’s worth considering rebooking options – if flyers can travel at another time – and purchasing travel insurance, which may reimburse some costs if there are hiccups. And if you don’t have to travel now, consider putting it off.
-Eve Chen
Before the government shutdown, the nation’s air traffic control system included just under 11,000 fully certified controllers – 30% fewer than the government says we need. That meant controllers were already consistently working six days a week, up to 10 hours a day on mandatory overtime, with vacations strictly limited.
“This situation creates substantial distractions for individuals who are already engaged in extremely stressful work,” Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, said in a statement. “The financial and mental strain increases risks within the National Airspace System, making it less safe with each passing day of the shutdown.”
Becoming a certified controller takes years of training, usually starting at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, followed by several years of closely supervised on-the-job practice.
Air traffic controller applicants need to meet vision and health standards, get mental-health assessments and commit to a high-stakes, high-stress job that’s physically isolated from the travelers they serve every day. They need to be prepared to deal with midair fires, hijacking reports or medical emergencies at 36,000 feet or just feet from the terminal.
-Trevor Hughes
Reporters across the country fly during government shutdown
USA TODAY reporters around the country documented their experience flying during flight cuts due to the government shutdown.
On Monday, President Donald Trump threatened to cut the pay of air traffic controllers who don’t show up to work and proposed bonuses to those who kept working through the shutdown.
Last week, the FAA reported between 20% and 40% of air traffic controllers were absent from work on any given day during the shutdown. Some looked for other jobs to make ends meet.
“I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” Trump said of air traffic controllers who stayed home from the job.
Contributing: James Powel, Kathryn Palmer, Zachary Schermele, Eve Chen, Bart Jansen and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY