Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is warning that the Trump administration may be forced to close airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown drags on into next week.
The 35-day funding lapse has snarled air travel across the country with at least 2,900 flight delays on Monday due to a spike in absences from air traffic controllers, who are reporting to work without pay during the shutdown. Duffy predicted “mass chaos” for U.S. airspace if Democrats do not relent their hardball tactics and fund the government. (RELATED: Hakeem Jeffries Digs In His Heels Further As Major Airlines, Unions Call For End To Schumer-Caused Shutdown)
“So if, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos,” Duffy said. “You will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”
Duffy qualified his remarks by adding that the nation’s air travel system is still safe and that his agency would “shut it down” in the event of a mass air traffic controller shortage.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 23: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks alongside Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) during a press conference on air traffic controller pay and the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)
Despite mounting impacts from the month-long shutdown, the vast majority of Senate Democrats voted Tuesday against a clean continuing resolution (CR) to open the government for a 14th time.
The nation’s four largest airlines called on Congress to end the shutdown using Republicans’ preferred approach of a clean CR on Thursday.
“Delta Air Lines implores Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government so that our air traffic controllers, TSA and CBP officers charged with the safety and efficiency of our national airspace can collect the paychecks they deserve,” the Atlanta, Ga.-based airline said. “A system under stress must be slowed down, reducing efficiency and causing delays for the millions of people who take to the skies every day.”
Roughly 500 major travel industry-groups urged lawmakers to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution on Monday, warning of “devastating” consequences for the upcoming holiday travel season.
Democrats have blamed their Republican counterparts for the shutdown’s disruptions to air travel despite plunging the country into an indefinite shutdown with no clear exit strategy.
“Listen, Donald Trump needs to stop rage Truth Social posting and show some actual leadership,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Tuesday when pressed about a reported ground stop at Ronald Reagan National Airport. “He’s been missing in action, in fact, throughout the entirety of his presidency, but it’s grown worse. The guy is having a complete and total meltdown right now. You know why? Because he knows that Republicans who we endorse are going down in flames all across America because they’ve been a complete and total disaster and a failure throughout this year.”
Andi Shae Napier contributed to this report.
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