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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started reducing air traffic across 40 airports Friday due to air traffic controller staffing issues stemming from the government shutdown.
As the government shutdown has hit 40 days, more air traffic control workers have refused to come to work as they’re about to miss a second paycheck next week – prompting the FAA to make cuts to ensure no safety issues arise.
But these flight reductions will likely continue if the shutdown does — or worsen — and could impact thousands of flights daily, according to Marc Scribner, a senior transportation policy analyst at the libertarian Reason Foundation think tank.
“This would affect thousands of flights per day, and tens of thousands of passengers potentially seeing their flights canceled — a major disruption,” Scribner told Fox News Digital Thursday.
A United Airlines Boeing 737 airplane departs from Los Angeles International Airport en route to Denver with the air traffic control tower in the background on Oct. 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
There are now enough Senate Democrats willing to back a revamped plan to reopen the government. But if the shutdown doesn’t end, air travel disruptions are at risk.
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“I don’t think we would expect, if the shutdown continues, for staffing levels to improve over what they are right now,” Scribner said. “If anything, they will continue to deteriorate as controllers call out sick or perhaps even resign. So I would expect it would not get better as long as the shutdown continues.”
Scribner said that travelers shouldn’t be concerned that the reduction in flights would translate to a lapse in safety, but said they should be aware that their travel schedules will likely take a hit as a result.
“They’re not going to allow unsafe flights. So whatever that means in terms of…
