As the federal government remains locked in its longest shutdown ever, now stretching into its 38th day, families across the country face a grim holiday season. With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away on November 27, air travel disruptions are already piling up, courtesy of unpaid air traffic controllers and FAA-mandated flight reductions. Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights starting today with experts warning of widespread delays, longer security lines, and chaos at airports if this drags on.
The FAA’s order to cut flights nationwide took effect this week Major hubs like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are hit hardest, with airlines scrambling to rebook passengers. The U.S. Travel Association has sounded the alarm, noting that 60% of Americans are rethinking their holiday plans due to the uncertainty. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted the cuts are necessary to avoid safety risks from overworked controllers.
This mess stems from a funding impasse that began October 1. Republicans in the House passed a continuing resolution back in September to keep things running through November 21, but Senate Democrats blocked it, demanding guarantees to prolong Covid-era Obamacare relief. Now, with the original deadline obsolete after five weeks of deadlock, GOP senators are pushing a revised plan to fund key areas like Veterans Affairs, military construction, agriculture, and Congress itself through September 2026, while patching the rest until late January.
“I’m optimistic that we should get something done this week,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. “I think there’s a path forward here.”
But Democrats aren’t budging, invigorated by off-year election results on November 4. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after a caucus meeting, simply said, “We had a very good caucus and we’re exploring all the options.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed frustration: “I’m less optimistic this morning than I was yesterday. What I understand is that Chuck Schumer has pulled them back from that and that they’re being instructed and told they can’t go there.”