US Transportation Chief Warns of Flight Delays as Government Shutdown Hits Aviation Workforce

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“I can’t guarantee your flight will be on time,” says Secretary Sean Duffy, as air traffic controllers and TSA officers work unpaid during the 23-day shutdown

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned travelers to brace for potential flight delays and cancellations as the ongoing government shutdown continues to strain the nation’s aviation system. Thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are now working without pay, raising concerns about morale and safety.

Speaking at a press conference at the Capitol alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders, Duffy acknowledged the growing frustration among aviation workers.

“I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time. I can’t guarantee that your flight’s not going to be canceled,” Duffy said. “It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day.”

He thanked aviation staff for continuing to show up despite not receiving paychecks and blamed Senate Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.

“We need you to come to work,” he added. “But if they do not, we’ll know whose fault it is.”

The shutdown, which began on October 1, has now entered its 23rd day, making it the second-longest in U.S. history. It follows repeated Senate rejections of a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21.

Tens of thousands working without pay

Speaker Johnson underscored the human impact, noting that 13,000 air traffic controllers and more than 50,000 TSA officers are currently reporting for duty unpaid. “They’re frustrated,” Duffy said, describing recent visits to control towers where staff expressed anger over the political stalemate.

White House: Democrats “shutting down American air travel”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused Senate Democrats of “shutting down American air travel” and warned of severe ripple effects across the economy.

She said more than 500,000 civilian federal employees would miss a paycheck on Friday, while small business loans worth nearly $4 billion in monthly capital remain unapproved.

Leavitt highlighted the timing of the crisis, with the Thanksgiving travel season approaching:

“If Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations across major airports this holiday season,” she said.

The shutdown has led to widespread disruption of federal services, furloughs across agencies, and growing public concern as the holiday travel rush nears — with no clear resolution in sight.