Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown
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Nearly 3,800 US flights were delayed or canceled as the government shutdown enters week four, straining air traffic operations nationwide.
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Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP)
Nearly 3,800 flights across the United States were either delayed or canceled on Monday as the ongoing government shutdown, now entering its fourth week, continues to disrupt operations, according to data from FlightAware.com.
The portal reported that “total delays within, into, or out of the United States today” reached 3,658, adding that another 119 flights have also been canceled.
Nearly 100 flights were delayed or canceled at New York’s JFK International Airport, while in Atlanta, passengers on more than 500 flights experienced delays, and in Charlotte, over 200 flights were also affected.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that air traffic controllers will stop receiving pay on October 28, warning earlier that passengers could face delays and cancellations if Congress fails to pass a spending bill to end the shutdown.
The new US fiscal year began on October 1, but Congress did not approve a budget, leaving the government unable to operate.
Earlier on October 26, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that US military personnel will miss paychecks by November 15 if the government shutdown continues.
"I think we will be able to pay them beginning in November, but by Nov. 15 our troops and service members who are willing to risk their lives are not going to be able to get paid," Bessent told CBS News.
Building on these concerns, US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said the government shutdown could extend until the end of November, noting, "I am hearing that we potentially might not be back until even around the Thanksgiving timeframe or after that," in remarks to Fox News.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned on October 14 that the shutdown could become the longest in US history as he refused to negotiate with Democrats until they agreed to reopen federal operations.
"We're barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history," said Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, speaking from the Capitol, reiterating that talks would only resume once Democrats "hit pause on their health care demands and reopen" the government.
