Oct 23, 2025 - Business

Air traffic control shortages delay flights at major airports amid shutdown

Rebecca Falconer

A view of the control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as 2 planes sit on the runway on October 9, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. — The control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, earlier this month. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Major airports in New York, D.C., New Jersey and Texas were hit by flight delays and ground stops due to air traffic control staffing issues on Thursday as the government shutdown lingered into a 23rd day.

The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops for LaGuardia, Houston Bush, Newark and Reagan airports amid Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's warning that air traffic controllers will miss paychecks next week due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Air traffic controllers and TSA staff are considered essential workers and over 13,000 ATC staff were expected to work without pay during the shutdown.

By the numbers: Nearly 5,000 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were delayed as of Thursday night, per the flight tracking site FlightAware.

LaGuardia, Newark and Reagan airports accounted for over 15% of these delays and Bush 13%.

Thought bubble, via Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick: Delays at these airports will reverberate around the entire air traffic system — and add pressure on Congress to end the shutdown, which seems likely destined to become the longest in U.S. history.

Go deeper: Duffy warns of travel disruptions as air traffic controllers face missed paychecks

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Air traffic control shortages delay flights at major airports amid shutdown

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