The U.S. government shutdown has now reached its 39th day, with the Senate working through the weekend to resolve negotiations — and the critical holiday travel season increasingly on the line.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stressed growing concerns about the impact on travelers when speaking with CNBC on Friday. “Nobody wants to put up with hassle,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to support our customers, but with the busiest travel time of the year approaching, this situation can’t continue.”
With Thanksgiving just 18 days away, followed closely by December holidays, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has instructed airlines to scale back air traffic operations due to severe staffing shortages.
“This is frustrating. We don’t need to be in this position. We’ve got to get the government back open so we don’t have to cancel flights,” Isom emphasized.
On Friday, American Airlines canceled more than 200 flights out of 6,200 scheduled. The carrier reduced flights primarily by lowering frequency on popular short routes, such as Miami to Orlando and Dallas-Fort Worth to Corpus Christi. For now, service to smaller markets remains intact — but Isom warned that cancellations could increase significantly if the shutdown persists.
His concerns also extend to broader economic fallout. Over 17 million people in the leisure and hospitality industry rely on steady travel activity — accounting for about one in every 10 U.S. jobs, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from August.
At the heart of the disruptions is a shortage of air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay during the shutdown. Many are reportedly calling out sick to pursue temporary work, making national staffing levels even thinner. If the shutdown continues, federal aviation employees will miss their second paycheck on Tuesday — a breaking point, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“Most of the controllers can navigate missing one paycheck, virtually none of them can navigate missing two,” Duffy told Fox News on Friday.
To cope, the FAA has begun scaling back flight operations nationwide. Beginning with a 4% reduction at 40 major airports on Friday, the agency plans to tighten restrictions to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13, and up to 10% by Nov. 14.
Major carriers — including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines — canceled between 3.5% and 4% of scheduled flights on Friday. In total, roughly 1,000 flights were scrapped that day, largely attributed to shutdown-related staffing shortages, with hundreds more expected through the weekend, according to The Associated Press.
Data from the Department of Transportation shows that November and December last year included more than 1.37 million domestic flights — highlighting what’s at stake for millions of travelers.
As Isom explained to CNBC, disruptions compound quickly. “Managing the industry becomes exponentially harder as you increase the level of cancellations.”
