Delta Air Lines is suffering the biggest financial toll from the government shutdown, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The airline canceled 708 flights on Sunday, or about 14% of its schedule, and another 492 on Monday, or about 10%, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered carriers to cut traffic by 10% at 40 major U.S. airports.
American Airlines was next with 426 cancellations, while United Airlines grounded 323 flights, also around 7% of operations. Southwest Airlines reported 192 cancellations, approximately 5% of its flights, per Cirium.
Together, Delta, American, and United control roughly 60% of the U.S. airline market, highlighting the financial strain caused by the FAA’s flight reductions during the shutdown.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the economic impact of the shutdown and the role air transport plays.
Bessent emphasized that the movement of people and goods are key to the economy.
“Well, it’s a core tenet of the economy, along with trucking and shipping,” he said.
“But in terms of business travel, I received several texts from airline executives over the weekend before we got news that the shutdown might be ending, saying they were quite worried for their businesses."
Bessent’s remarks came as he highlighted the wider impact of the shutdown. He noted the uncertainty had caused concern across other industries.
“I don’t know what it could have cascaded into,” he said.
“One of the things I didn’t want to do was alarm Americans, but I got a panic notice the other night that said food inspectors were not getting paid and that they weren’t going to work. So, we actually could have had food shortages,” Bessent said.
With flight disruptions possibly delaying lawmakers’ return to Washington for a vote to end the shutdown, some Republicans found ways to make it back on time.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin shared a video on X and said he was traveling all the way from Wisconsin on his Harley-Davidson.
“Guess who’s driving 951.8 miles from Wisconsin to DC on a Harley-Davidson” he said and shared footage of his motorcycle journey.
Meanwhile, Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas chose to carpool with Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi. Crawford posted images from their road trip, including a stop at Buc-ee’s in Crossville, Tennessee.
“Quick stop in Crossville, TN at the always reliable Buc-ee’s with my friend @RepTrentKelly as we head back to D.C. to end the Democrat shutdown. 8 more hours to go!” Crawford wrote.
{{#rendered}}Canceled flights and delays have led to financial losses across the U.S. airline industry, according to one industry expert.
Greg Raiff , CEO of Elevate Aviation Group, warned that the impact could reach “hundreds of millions of dollars a day,” a blow he expects will be evident when carriers issue fourth quarter earnings.
In September, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman cautioned Congress that a shutdown would be “a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy, costing $1 billion every week and affecting millions of travelers and businesses.”
Since the shutdown began an estimated 5.2 million passengers have faced disruptions. Per The Associated Press, airlines have canceled more than 9,000 flights
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has expressed gratitude to both United employees and U.S. military veterans in a Veterans Day message.
Kirby emphasized pride in the airline’s achievements and the nation’s greatness while speaking from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, which is his alma mater.
The CEO praised veterans for their service and dedication to preserving America as “the greatest country on Earth.”
He also commended United’s workforce, expressing his pride in employees who have made United “the best airline in the history of aviation.”
Kirby highlighted the commitment of current cadets and service members, noting their role in upholding American values and freedom and extended appreciation to veterans within United, recognizing the leadership and values they bring to the organization.
In an accompanying written note, Kirby also reinforced United’s respect for veterans, stating that their service “makes the world a better place.”
Later on Tuesday, Kirby shared another message to his staff on United’s website, thanking them for their “extraordinary performance” during the government shutdown.
Thanksgiving travelers are opting for buses and trains in the wake of the government shutdown and ensuing air travel chaos, according to reports.
Bus and train bookings are up 12% year over year, according to travel search engine Wanderu, with some routes seeing as much as a 30% surge in demand.
FlightAware data shows that airlines canceled about 2,400 flights and delayed more than 9,500 on Monday alone, following nearly 3,000 cancellations on Sunday which was the worst day for air travel since the shutdown began.
Although the Senate voted to reopen the government Monday night, reports indicate that normal flight operations could take weeks to resume.
Amtrak said it expects record-breaking Thanksgiving travel in 2025, with double-digit growth in early rail bookings compared to last year.
“We’re preparing for one of the busiest holiday travel periods in our history,” an Amtrak spokesperson told Reuters. “To meet demand, we’re expanding capacity across our Northeast Corridor routes connecting Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.”
Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America, which owns Greyhound and Megabus said the company is adapting to the surge.
“We anticipate more travelers may turn to ground transportation in the days ahead, and we’re monitoring demand closely,” Boysan told Reuters: “We’re ready to add capacity where needed to ensure people can keep moving.”
{{#rendered}}U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that flight reductions implemented during the shutdown were based on safety data, not political pressure, as he gave an update on the air traffic system.
Speaking at a news conference at O’Hare International Airport, Duffy addressed the risks of continued disruptions and the timeline for easing restrictions.
“Some have asked, when are you going to start rolling those back? The answer to that is this has all been data based,” Duffy told reporters.
“When that data changes, we're going to start taking down from six. Maybe we'll go to four, two, and get back to normal air travel,” he said.
Duffy also clarified the adjustment that came over the weekend.“On Saturday, we reduced our flights by 4%. So 4% of commercial aviation had to be canceled. Now, some have claimed that this was based on politics. This was based on pressure. And I would just tell you that this information, to do this reduction in flights by 4% on Saturday, it came from the safety office,” he said.
Still, he warned that further delays could worsen conditions: “Massively more disruption as we come into the weekend if the government doesn't open. It is going to radically slow down.”
“I’m very hopeful. It seems like they're in a good mood to come in and vote to open the government. And again, I hope they do that," he added.
Private jet firms are adapting to the shutdown by redirecting flights to smaller airports and drawing in new customers in the process, according to one operator.
“Consequently, we have redirected our clients to smaller airports that have normal operations,” Justin Firestone, Founder of TLC Jet, told Fox News Digital.
“In response to the surge in commercial disruptions, TLC Jet charter flight demand experienced a remarkable increase of nearly 300% in early November.
“We have successfully onboarded numerous new clients, including a surprising number of first-time private fliers,” he added.
The shift comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended nearly all private jet operations at twelve major airports, including Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX), JFK (NYC), Boston (BOS), Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Las Vegas (LAS), and Charlotte (CLT).
“Despite its substantial business expansion, TLC Jet has encountered some minor disruptions, including rerouting difficulties, and Air Traffic Control delays,” added Firestone.
“Fortunately for our customers, this pales in comparison to the thousands of delays or cancellations of flights for millions of commercial travelers.
“TLC Jet and the broader private aviation industry are eagerly anticipating a prompt resolution to the government stalemate and facilitate a complete restoration of operations,” he added
A spat erupted online Tuesday between Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Buttigieg set it off by criticizing the president’s handling of air traffic controllers, writing on X that the administration had failed aviation workers.
“The President wouldn't last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they've been through - and the way this administration has treated them from Day One - he has no business sh****g on them now."
Taking to X, Duffy responded: “Give me a break. You were basically AWOL at the DOT. I spend my whole day dealing with your neglect and cleaning up your messes. Sit this one out.”
{{#rendered}}U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that air traffic controllers should receive about 70% of their back pay within 48 hours of the government reopening.
Speaking to reporters in Wisconsin, Duffy said the payment will come as a lump sum with the remaining balance to be paid later.
"I think it's a 70% payment," Duffy said. "But they'll get a good lump sum of what they're due, which is helpful," he told WISN 12.
Duffy made a stop at Central Wisconsin Airport, where he met with air traffic controllers and toured their control tower before speaking with the press.
Air traffic controllers missed their second full paycheck on Tuesday, heightening pressure on the administration to restore pay quickly.
Travelers faced a fresh wave of chaos Tuesday afternoon as airlines across the U.S. canceled roughly 6 percent of scheduled flights, according to data. The widespread disruptions came as carriers adjusted to ongoing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules that stay in effect amid the shutdown.
The cancellations followed Monday night’s Senate vote, where several Democratic senators broke ranks to help pass a bipartisan bill to end the shutdown.
By 1:30 p.m. EST, flight-tracking site FlightAware reported 1,987 flight delays and 1,210 cancellations nationwide.
United Airlines also released a list of canceled flights stretching into Wednesday evening, with some cancellations projected through 9 p.m.
Flight cancellations and delays are mounting at major airports across the U.S. on Tuesday.
But which of the busy travel hubs are facing the brunt of the chaos?
LaGuardia Airport in New York has so far had 64 flights canceled (11%) and 141 flights delays (25%) as of 12:30 p.m. EST, according to FlightAware.com.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport equaled LaGuardia’s total cancellations at 64 (5%), though has had 97 (8%) flights delayed so far, the data from FlightAware showed.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had the third-most flights canceled so far on Tuesday at 60 (5%), according to the data. It has had 61 (5%) flights delayed so far.
While these three hubs have so far felt the largest impact in terms of total cancellations and delays, travel frustrations continued to rack up across the country.
Total cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S. stood at 1,206 so far, according to FlightAware. Meanwhile, total delays within, into, or out of the U.S. reached 1,748.
{{#rendered}}Ongoing flight delays and cancellations across the country have travelers facing widespread disruptions on Tuesday despite the Senate advancing a bipartisan funding package to end the government shutdown.
Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith and FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi report the latest on the current travel turmoil as the Federal Aviation Administration reduced flights by 6% amid air traffic controller staffing shortages.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday warned that data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is showing air travel risks rising as more “loss of separation” incidents and runway incursions between aircraft are being reported.
Duffy spoke with reporters at Central Wisconsin Airport about the current situation regarding the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on air travel across the country. He specifically mentioned data he viewed with the FAA about air safety.
"So in regard to the data, I'm not going to give the exact numbers, but what I've told everyone is, we saw what's called loss of separation," Duffy said. "There’s safe distances that airplanes need to maintain in the airspace. We saw incursions in that separation. Now, was it, a near miss? No, but there were incursions, loss of separation. So that's the first thing we saw, the data was going in the wrong direction.”
“We saw runway incursions," Duffy continued. "And then I had complaints from pilots. The airlines pilots were saying, ‘Hey, FAA, I'm having different experiences with the controller. They're not responding to me as quickly, they seem stressed.’ Or they would say, the controllers and pilots use very specific language, the language that they're using the controller was using was getting sloppy.”
“All those numbers were going in the wrong direction, which means, the risk levels are going up," he added.
Duffy also called on House Republicans and Democrats to support the deal that would bring an end to the government shutdown.
Flight cancellations and delays piled up across the country on Monday as Congress worked to create a path toward ending the government shutdown and getting air traffic controllers back to work.
There was a total of 2,420 flight cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S. on Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. Its data showed total delays reached 9,319.
On Sunday, there were 2,954 cancellations and 11,229 delays within, into, or out of the U.S., according to data compiled by the website.
The FAA is set to increase the number of flights dropped at 40 major U.S. airports on Tuesday, though the number of flights that will need to be canceled remains unclear.
As of Tuesday morning, FlightAware reported there have been 1,177 cancellations and 613 delays so far.
{{#rendered}}Americans could face more travel pains at airports across the country as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) target for reducing flights is set to increase to 6% on Tuesday and again to 10% on Friday.
The FAA ordered domestic airlines last week to drop 4% of their flights at 40 major U.S. airports, saying absences and signs of stress among traffic controllers made it imperative to act in the name of public safety.
More than 7,900 flights have already been canceled since Friday to deal with air traffic controller shortages from the government shutdown.
While it’s unclear how many flights will need to be canceled, the average cancellation rate over the last few days already exceeded the FAA’s requirement, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.
The Senate passed legislation late Monday to reopen the government, but the bill still needs to clear the House and final passage could be days away.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that flight cuts will remain until the FAA sees staffing levels stabilize at its air traffic control facilities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned the ongoing shutdown could make the U.S. economy “get worse and worse” as the holiday season approaches, potentially affecting Christmas.
Speaking on ABC's "This Week" program, Bessent said the “human cost” of the shutdown may continue to grow. “But on the other side, there’s also, cargo is being slowed down,” he said. “So, you know, we could end up with shortages, whether it’s in our supply chain, whether it’s for the holidays.”
“Cargo and people are both being slowed down here. And that’s for safety’s sake,” he added.
Bessent also noted, “We had a fantastic economy under President Trump the past two quarters. And now there are estimates that economic growth for this quarter could be cut by as much as half, if the shutdown continues.”
Varun Gupta, professor of logistics and business analytics at the University of North Georgia, also confirmed to ABC News that about 10 percent of U.S. cargo moves by air.
Delivery giant FedEx told The Independent: “Contingency plans are in place to flex our integrated air and ground network to help protect time-sensitive, critical shipments such as lifesaving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other products move through our network without disruption,” a spokesperson said.
American Airlines Chief Operating Officer addressed employees Monday in a memo about the airline’s operational struggles, calling widespread flight disruptions “simply unacceptable,” Business Insider reported.
“I won’t mince words: This weekend’s operation was incredibly challenging for our industry, for our customers, for our airline and for you, our team members,” David Seymour said.
“This is simply unacceptable, and everyone deserves better,” he added.
“Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid and our airline needs to be able to operate at a level of predictability and dependability that no major airline was able to provide the flying public this weekend.”
Seymour also said that American’s leadership is in “regular conversations with government leaders in Washington, D.C.,” urging them to “reach a deal immediately."
He also noted “concrete progress” had been made but warned that “the next several days will continue to be challenging.”
{{#rendered}}Coverage for this event has ended.