The longest government shutdown in US history may be over, but airlines are warning travelers to expect scattered delays and cancellations heading into the busiest travel season of the year. With Thanksgiving just days away and the Federal Aviation Administration still dealing with acute staffing shortages, the aviation industry faces a perfect storm of operational challenges that could take weeks to fully resolve.
The aviation industry isn't flipping any switches to normal just yet. Despite Congress ending the 35-day government shutdown on Wednesday evening, Airlines for America president Chris Sununu made it clear that "airlines cannot flip a switch and resume normal operations immediately after a vote - there will be residual effects for days." That's particularly troubling news for the millions of Americans preparing to fly for Thanksgiving, traditionally the year's most chaotic travel period. The Federal Aviation Administration had been forcing airlines to preemptively cancel flights - up to 6% of them at 40 of the country's busiest airports - as air traffic controllers and security professionals missed their second consecutive paycheck. The ripple effects of those cancellations are still working their way through the system as airlines scramble to reposition crews and aircraft that were left scattered across the country. Tim Kiefer, a former air traffic controller now teaching at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, puts it bluntly: "It'll be hard to get everything up and running quickly, but you would have experienced some delays because of weather, equipment issues, or staffing, whether there was a government shutdown or not." The timing couldn't be worse. Sunday after Thanksgiving consistently ranks as the busiest travel day of the year, and now it's arriving just as the aviation system tries to shake off weeks of operational disruption. The deeper problem isn't going away anytime soon. Air traffic controllers have been working grueling schedules amid chronic staffing shortages for nearly 15 years. The profession requires workers to retire at 56, and it takes anywhere from two to five years to fully train new controllers - a pipeline that was completely frozen during the shutdown. While the FAA kept its training academy in Oklahoma City open this time (unlike previous shutdowns), all new hiring stopped cold. The agency hasn't responded to questions about when that crucial recruitment process might restart. Even more concerning for the industry's long-term health: potential controllers might think twice about entering a profession where paychecks can disappear every time Congress can't agree on funding. "There is that potential of [prospective controllers] saying, 'I don't want to be subject to the appropriations process every 16 months and not get paid,'" Kiefer warns. The pay situation remains messy too. Federal workers shouldn't expect to see their complete back pay immediately - Kiefer recalls waiting five weeks for his full paycheck after the 2019 shutdown ended. For controllers already stretched thin and working mandatory overtime, that financial uncertainty adds another layer of stress to an already demanding job. As travelers pack their bags for Thanksgiving week, they're entering an aviation system still finding its footing. The shutdown may be over, but its effects on holiday travel are just beginning to unfold.
