Flight chaos in the USA: Thousands of cancellations due to budget freeze!

Flight chaos in the USA: Thousands of cancellations due to budget freeze!

On November 9, 2025, the United States is affected by massive flight cancellations resulting from an ongoing budget freeze. This budget lockdown, which has been in force for 40 days, is having a significant impact on air traffic and public life. According to vienna.at these failures are the result of a shortage of air traffic controllers, which is caused by unpaid federal employees, including around 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security employees.

Last Saturday alone, around 700 flights from the four largest US airlines were canceled, and a similar number of cancellations are expected for the following Sunday. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered four percent of daily flights to be canceled at 40 major airports. These cuts, which could rise to six percent from Tuesday and ten percent by November 14, are leading to chaotic flight operations.

Growing problems with security checks

For passengers, the ongoing shutdown also has a significant impact on security checks and handling at airports. Many air traffic controllers do not show up for work due to lack of pay, causing shortages at 42 airports and control centers. In some places, such as Atlanta Airport, the average delay on Saturday was a shocking 282 minutes. These problems are not only concentrated in large cities like Atlanta, but also affect New York and Chicago.

The situation is alarming as Senator Ted Cruz reported that pilots have filed over 500 safety reports due to air traffic controller fatigue since the shutdown began. Transport Minister Sean Duffy also warned that if the staffing situation was further tightened, air traffic could be cut by up to 20 percent, which would further aggravate the already tense situation. Tagesschau reports that around 1,500 flights were canceled and around 6,000 delays were recorded on Saturday.

Political background of the shutdown

The reasons for the ongoing shutdown lie in a hard-fought budget dispute between Republicans and Democrats. Congress should have passed a new federal budget at the end of September. A Republican proposal failed to find a majority, and a Democratic proposal also failed. Republicans need at least eight Democratic votes to pass a budget bill, which is extremely difficult in the current political climate.

The Foreign Office has now warned travelers that they could be affected by delays in visa and immigration matters, particularly at US consulates and embassies. In addition to the traffic problems, many national parks, museums and historic sites under federal administration have limited or no access at all, which is increasingly frustrating for tourists in the USA, as Zeit reports.

Citizens and travelers should therefore urgently inform themselves about possible restrictions on air traffic and security checks and allow sufficient time for travel. The shutdown is not only a political crisis, but also has a direct and serious impact on the everyday lives of people in the USA.