Transportation Secretary Warns U.S. May Close Certain Airspace If Government Shutdown Continues

The U.S. Department of Transportation may soon be forced to close portions of the nation’s airspace if the ongoing government shutdown continues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

“You will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations,” Duffy said. “And you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it — we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”

The warning comes as the country endures the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history, reaching day 36 on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Congress failed to pass a funding bill on Oct. 1, marking the first shutdown since 2019, during President Donald Trump’s first term. Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Heading into last weekend, half of the FAA’s 30 key facilities were experiencing staffing shortages, and 80% of controllers in New York-area facilities were absent.

CNN’s analysis of the FAA’s operational plans between Friday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 2, revealed 98 “staffing trigger” reports — incidents that can result in rerouting or delaying flights due to insufficient controller coverage.

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system (NAS).

As we head into this weekend, a surge in callouts is straining staffing levels at multiple…

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 1, 2025

“People always ask me, ‘Is the system safe?’” Duffy said. “I would tell you, yes, the system is safe — and if it wasn’t, we would shut it down. We delay flights and tell airlines to cancel if we don’t have enough controllers.”

He added, “But with this shutdown, it would be dishonest to say that more risk is not injected into the system. There is more risk in the system.”

On Oct. 28, federal employees received their first $0 paycheck after two weeks of unpaid work.

“These hardworking Americans have bills to pay, and they’re being forced to make choices — do they stay and work as air traffic controllers, or do they find another job to put food on the table and gas in the car?” Duffy said. “Each passing day makes the situation worse, not better.”

The shutdown is also straining Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers under the Department of Homeland Security.

Footage from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport this week, obtained by reporters, showed large crowds and long waits at security checkpoints. One traveler on X reported waiting “four-and-a-half hours” to get through security, causing them to miss their flight on Sunday, Nov. 2.

In a Nov. 2 press release, Houston Airports warned travelers to expect longer-than-usual wait times “until further notice.”

“We sincerely thank our passengers for arriving early and for their patience and flexibility during this challenging time,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airport. “The federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide, and Houston Airports is doing everything possible to support our TSA partners and keep passengers moving safely and efficiently.”