A person rides an electric scooter past the air traffic control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport as the U.S. government shutdown continues in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., Oct. 8, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
U.S. air traffic controllers Tuesday missed their first full paychecks since the government shutdown began at the start of the month, while the Department of Transportation said flight delays due to staffing shortages have increased.
The controllers are facing increased financial stress and it’s getting harder to recruit much-needed workers, union officials and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday. Air traffic controllers and airport security screeners are among the employees required to work during the shutdown as essential employees, even though they’re not getting regular paychecks.
“The problems are mounting daily,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, at a news conference at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned about staffing shortages at airports serving Philadelphia, Denver and airspace over a large swath of the Western U.S. that could disrupt flights on Tuesday.
Duffy told reporters that 44% of the flight delays on Sunday, and about 24% of them on Monday, were due to air traffic controller staffing, compared with around 5% of the delays so far this year.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy holds a press conference on the impact of the government shutdown on air travel, at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City, U.S., October 28, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Duffy also said that the shutdown is hurting government air traffic training and recruiting, and that some funds for trainee stipends are “about to run out.”
Air traffic controller union officials have said that some members have been driving for ride-hailing platforms and taking other jobs to make ends meet.
Members of the union, including its president, plan to hand out leaflets and speak to the public at several airports across the U.S. on Tuesday, urging travelers to push Congress to end the shutdown.
The government shutdown, entering its fourth week, has added to concerns about additional strain on the U.S. air traffic control system, which has challenged airlines and travelers alike because of years of understaffing.
Flights earlier this month were delayed at several U.S. airports but the severe disruptions that preceded the end of the longest-ever shutdown, between late 2018 and early 2019, have not occurred.
