Duffy says more pain to come before air traffic is back to normal

4 days ago 13

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Duffy said much controllers returning arsenic the extremity of the shutdown is successful sight.

November 11, 2025, 6:47 PM

Airlines person canceled much than 7,500 flights since Friday owed to upwind and aerial postulation power shortages, but it present appears alleviation is successful show arsenic much controllers amusement up for enactment with quality of a imaginable extremity to the authorities shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing shortages astatine aerial postulation power facilities decreased importantly from this play to Tuesday arsenic controllers look hopeful a paycheck is connected the way.

"Saturday, Sunday, Monday -- precise unsmooth question days, important cancellations and important delays," Duffy told reporters. "However, contiguous has been a overmuch amended day. A batch much aerial postulation controllers are coming in. On Saturday, we had 81 staffing triggers. Today, we person four. So I deliberation our aerial postulation controllers are seeing an extremity to the shutdown and consciousness much hopeful."

However, Duffy said the antecedently announced formation reductions presently successful spot astatine 40 large airports volition summation to 10% by Friday adjacent if the shutdown ends. Duffy says the determination is based connected information information and restrictions volition stay successful spot until the squad sees betterment successful the data.

How soon could hose operations and schedules instrumentality to normal?

Experts accidental erstwhile the Department of Transportation lifts its 10% formation chopped mandate, it volition instrumentality respective days for airlines to recalibrate their networks earlier things are wholly backmost to normal.

When volition controllers get paid?

Duffy said controllers volition person 70% of their paychecks wrong 24 to 48 hours aft the authorities shutdown ends. The remaining magnitude volition travel wrong a week aft the authorities reopens.

Duffy besides warned that if the House doesn't ballot to reopen the government, it could effect successful "massive disruptions" for aerial question arsenic soon arsenic this weekend.

"If the authorities doesn't open, it is going to radically dilatory down," Duffy said. "So the House has to bash its work. And by the way, I americium precise hopeful. It seems similar they're successful a bully temper to travel successful and ballot to unfastened the government."

What to cognize if your formation is canceled oregon delayed

Passengers are entitled to a afloat currency refund if their formation is canceled by the hose and they take not to rebook. If the hose does not cancel the formation but a traveler chooses not to fly, they are not entitled to a refund connected astir tickets and successful galore cases volition lone person a formation credit.

Experts urge booking straight with the hose arsenic it’s easier and quicker to cancel oregon marque immoderate changes to your flight.

Another extremity for travelers is to download the hose app to person the quickest and astir updated accusation connected their formation and alert connected an aboriginal greeting flight, arsenic those flights person seen less disruptions. Early greeting flights besides let much accidental to rebook connected a formation the aforesaid day.