Government Shutdown Increases Flight Delays Across US Airports

The ongoing government shutdown in 2025 is significantly impacting the U.S. aviation system, leading to increased flight delays and pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay, with some taking second jobs to make ends meet. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the critical shortage of controllers, which has caused flight disruptions at major airports including LaGuardia, Newark, and Reagan National. Concurrently, Alaska Airlines experienced a major IT outage stemming from a failure at its primary data center, resulting in a systemwide ground stop and at least 229 flight cancellations, with Horizon Air, its subsidiary, also affected. The airline emphasized that safety was never compromised despite these disruptions, which were attributed to technical errors rather than cyberattacks, though experts noted the vulnerability such outages create for potential cyber threats. Southwest Airlines faced over 1,000 delays amid these challenges, while other major carriers such as American, United, and Delta also experienced significant flight delays. These combined operational and technical issues have strained the airline industry, eroding passenger confidence and complicating efforts to maintain timely and safe travel during the government shutdown period.