Nationwide Flight Delays as Shutdown Impacts Air Traffic Controllers
Newsweek2 days
Flight Delays Continue Amid Ongoing US Government Shutdown
Above: Passengers check in at an American Airlines counter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on Oct. 10, 2025. Image copyright: Li Rui/Xinhua/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The government shutdown has merely exposed deep flaws in America's air traffic control system that existed long before any political standoff. Current delays match normal averages of 4,500 daily flights arriving late, proving the shutdown isn't the real culprit. America's antiquated ATC infrastructure desperately needs $31 billion in upgrades and privatization, like Canada's successful model.
Narrative B
Government shutdowns have systematically destroyed America's air traffic control capacity over 15 years through repeated funding disruptions. The FAA hired only two-thirds of the needed controllers between 2013-2023 due to shutdown-induced hiring freezes and academy closures. These political games created a 3,000-controller shortage that forces dangerous overtime and threatens passenger safety.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.17.2
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.17.2