We are now over a week into Trump and the Republicans’ latest government shutdown. It does not look like Congress is closer to ending it, thanks to Republicans’ insistence on taking away healthcare and raising premiums for millions of Americans in order to cut taxes for billionaires. In the meantime, hundreds of federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay right now.
The shutdown affects more than just government workers, though. The last time Republicans shut down the government, there were massive disruptions in air travel. This was due to air traffic controllers and TSA agents calling out sick thanks to not getting paid. Well, history is repeating itself. Prior to the shutdown, air traffic controllers were already critically understaffed. On Monday, several US cities had flight delays because of ATC staff shortages. It was so bad in California that the Burbank Airport was left without any ATCs on duty from 4:15 – 10:00 p.m.
Airports in U.S. cities including Denver; Newark, New Jersey; and Burbank, California, experienced flight delays Monday amid shortages of air traffic controllers, according to federal flight data.
Federal officials have flagged more air traffic control facilities for low staffing levels in recent days than they have since the summer of 2022, when the post-COVID travel boom sent delays and cancellations soaring, according to a CBS News data analysis of Federal Aviation Administration airspace advisories.
The shortage of air traffic controllers at some airports comes as the U.S. government shutdown that has shuttered federal agencies continues into a second week.
Flights into Hollywood Burbank Airport, which serves Los Angeles, were slowed until 1 a.m. Tuesday, resulting in average delays of 2.5 hours, FAA data shows. No air traffic controllers were on duty on Monday evening at the airport, California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a social media post. According to CBS News Los Angeles, plane captains taking off from the Burbank airport were being asked to contact SoCal Approach, a San Diego-based company also known as Southern California TRACON, so they could communicate and get departure clearance.
When there’s a shortage of air traffic controllers, the FAA reduces the number of takeoffs and landings to ensure the on-duty personnel aren’t overwhelmed and the system remains safe. But that can creates flight delays and cancellations.
On Monday, a total of almost 6,000 flights were delayed in the U.S., including 42% of flights leaving from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and 23% of those from Hollywood Burbank according to tracking site FlightAware. Weather issues also caused some flight delays on Monday. As of Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. EDT, more than 600 flights within the U.S. had been delayed, FlightAware data shows.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing the nation’s air traffic controllers, on Monday instructed its members to keep working during the government shutdown. Because air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers, they’re expected to continue working without pay, although they would receive back pay once the shutdown ends.
“It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals,” NATCA said in statement. “NATCA has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today’s events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring.”
The TSA has seen a slight increase in air traffic controllers calling in sick since the shutdown began last week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at a news conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
“We’re tracking sick calls, sick leave. And have we had a slight tick up in sick calls? Yes,” he told reporters. “You’ll see delays come from that. … Our priorities are safety, and so if we have additional calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”
What a mess. The GOP doesn’t care how their (lack of) governance affects us as a whole. Not everyone has the amount of savings that the majority of Congress members (who are still getting paid) have. Many Americans can’t afford to work for free until a shutdown ends and need to take personal time to work side gigs. It’s also probably going to get worse when people rightfully panic as President Trump threatens to withhold backpay simply to stick it to Democrats and the GOP goes along with it because they’re too scared to stand up for their constituents.
Also, the idea that air traffic controllers should be denied sick leave is insane. They are in a crucial profession that requires the utmost attention. It could literally be life and death if they get distracted or make a mistake because they were forced to come to work. Besides, when the president is out there saying things like, “We’ll only take care of our people,” why would you want to go into work?
#BREAKINGNEWS Burbank Airport will have no air traffic controllers this evening, FAA warnshttps://t.co/w6bC4W13sK
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 6, 2025
Reporter: Is it the WH’s position that furloughed workers should be paid their back pay?
Trump: It depends on who we’re talking about. We're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a… pic.twitter.com/CJisMa5KyZ
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 7, 2025
photos credit: Michael Chiara, Soly Moses, Pascal Borener on Pexels
What does he mean when he says he’ll take care of “our people”? Is he gonna check the registered party of every furloughed Fed worker and then decide whether they deserve backpay or not? I can’t imagine going through life with this level of vengeance and vitriol towards perceived enemies. No wonder he looks like fresh hell–that level of sustained paranoia and rage is so unhealthy and will rot you from within.
And every day he reminds us that his administration governs only for the people that voted for him and his rich friends. The irony being that the folks who voted for him will be hurt the most by his feckless actions.
Sadly, don’t be surprised to wake up one morning and see that’s his latest executive order.
The irony is he’s the one who signed the legislation to give them back pay last shutdown in 2019. He also hired Jerome Powell to lead the Fed, both things he conveniently forgets. And Biden was the one either a mental decline.
Just like Gov Abbott and Rep Randy Weber “forgot” that they refused to let Biden federalize the Texas National Guard. So effin sick of the double standard.
Democrats are trying to save Medicaid and the ACA. That tyrant has made it clear anything or anyone remotely Democrat will be punished, by firing, not providing backpay or discontinuing a program. His negotiation tactic is revenge and punishment. And his vile sycophants, Mike Johnson and JD Vance, waste no time running to the media talking about how the Republicans are the ones that care about healthcare and then insert their usual scare tactics about illegal immigrants getting coverage.
And I don’t blame the workers if ALL ATCs and TSA agents walk off the job. They are not getting paid. There is no guarantee they will get back pay. They are being forced to work without pay, and please stop with this essential worker nonsense. Essential workers need money to live just like non-essential workers. And miss me with any talk of Democrats need to negotiate in good faith with the Republicans over the budget. The stupidly-named Big Beautiful Bill will destroy people’s lives and put us into debt for years to come. Ten months into his presidency and Trump and his horsemen of the apocalypse have done extensive damage. THIS IS THEIR DOING, not the Democrats. And Trump does not care, because he and his family are making billions on side businesses and projects. He has not divested himself from any of it — in fact, he’s openly selling crap and bragging about his net worth. And of course there’s the Epstein files. What will it take to fire him and his entire administration, bring them to trial here and The Hague and then send them all to prison??!!! What will it take??!!!
This is so scary, but what is even scarier is that the administration doesn’t give a damn about the impact on citizens, regardless of party. We’ve already had a plane collision since the shutdown and its just been a week. My daughter is scheduled to fly at the end of the month and I’m really, really nervous.
Maybe it wasn’t a great idea to put the guy who abandoned kids on a ski trip on an episode of MTV’s Real World in charge of our transportation.
The media are writing every article as if this is the Dems fault or this a both sides problem. When it’s Trump and the GOP who control the entire government. He’s loving this because now there is no Congress in his way. Oh, and I can’t get FEMA flood insurance thanks to the shutdown. Probably safer to pay through the nose for private anyway.
It’s disgusting that the people who caused this are still getting paid, and the people who keep us safe are not.
The Great Divider; it’s “us” vs “them” , Republicans vs Democrats. Civil War is not out of the question.
They want that.