WASHINGTON D.C Nov 9, 2025 – With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, the ongoing partial government shutdown is already wreaking havoc on U.S. air travel, prompting a dire warning from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday. Speaking on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream, Duffy cautioned that if Democrats do not relent in the budget standoff, holiday flights could grind to a near halt, leaving millions of Americans stranded.
“You’re going to have air travel slowed to a trickle,” Duffy said in the interview. “It’s not going to happen. You’re going to have massive disruption… We have to be honest about where this is going.”
The shutdown, now in its second week, stems from a partisan impasse over federal spending priorities. House Democrats, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have blocked a continuing resolution that would fund the government through the holidays, demanding concessions on President Trump’s border security and immigration reforms. The White House has accused Democrats of holding the economy hostage for political gain, while critics on the left argue the impasse reflects Republican intransigence on social spending programs.
Real-time data from flight tracking service FlightAware.com, displayed during the broadcast, painted a grim picture of the current fallout. As of Sunday morning:
– En route commercial flights nationwide : 2,208
– Total U.S. delays : 1,212
– Total U.S. cancellations : 1,218
Major hubs are bearing the brunt, with understaffed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control towers operating at reduced capacity due to furloughs of non-essential personnel. The hardest-hit airports for delays include:
– Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 205 delays
– Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL): 95 delays
– Newark Liberty (EWR): 90 delays
Cancellations are even more severe:
– Atlanta (ATL): 265 cancellations
– Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 104 cancellations
– Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): 78 cancellations
The FAA, which relies on thousands of furloughed employees for everything from radar maintenance to flight scheduling, has issued emergency waivers allowing controllers to work without pay. However, experts warn that prolonged shutdown could lead to safety risks and widespread blackouts in the national airspace system.
“This isn’t just about inconvenience—it’s about families missing out on reunions, businesses losing billions, and a ripple effect across the economy,” Duffy emphasized. The Transportation Department estimates daily losses from disruptions could top $500 million, with Thanksgiving travel—expected to see 55 million Americans flying—facing the biggest threat.
Airlines for America, the industry’s trade group, echoed the alarm in a statement: “The shutdown is forcing unnecessary hardships on passengers and operators alike. Congress must act now to reopen the government and restore full FAA operations.”
Democrats fired back, with House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries tweeting that “Trump’s extremism is to blame for this chaos—families shouldn’t pay the price for his wall obsession.” Meanwhile, Republican leaders like Senate Majority Leader John Thune have urged invoking the nuclear option to end the filibuster and pass funding unilaterally, a move that could reshape Senate rules for years.
As the shutdown drags on, travelers are advised to check FlightAware or airline apps frequently and consider flexible bookings. With Black Friday sales and holiday rushes looming, the White House Rapid Response team amplified Duffy’s message on X (formerly Twitter), sharing the Fox clip to rally public pressure on Democrats.
The fate of America’s skies—and its holiday spirit—now hangs in the balance of Capitol Hill negotiations. Updates will follow as talks progress.
