The shutdown entered its 35th day, and DOT officials reported that essential workers are continuing to work without pay, contributing to a shortage of between 2,000 and 3,000 air traffic controllers across at least 35 control sites. Duffy said the shortfalls have already produced delays and cancellations at airports around the country and raised safety concerns after a recent low-speed collision at LaGuardia Airport, an incident that officials have linked to controller staffing pressures. He warned that, if conditions worsen, the department could impose mass cancellations or halt air traffic entirely to maintain safety.
The controller shortages reflect gaps in coverage deemed critical to maintaining the existing air traffic system. With controllers unpaid and operating under the constraints of the shutdown, DOT faces mounting challenges ensuring consistent staffing at busy facilities and providing the inspections and oversight typically required during normal operations. The agency’s potential decision to curtail portions of the national airspace underscores the intersection of operational safety mandates and the budgetary impasse enveloping federal agencies.
Airlines and airports have already reported disruption from the staffing strains. While details of the nationwide impact vary by location, the department’s public remarks emphasized the potential for escalated delays and cancellations that could extend beyond isolated incidents if the shutdown persists. The LaGuardia collision, described as low-speed, has become a focal point for concerns about how sustained controller shortages might increase the risk of incidents during peak traffic operations.
Beyond aviation, the shutdown’s effects have rippled into surface transit systems and inspection schedules. Officials said inspections must be completed by Nov. 14; in the Philadelphia region, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has completed 114 of 225 Silverliner IV train cars in that inspection and repair process. The incomplete completion rate has contributed to service delays, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has pursued $167 million in funding to address the shortfalls and accelerate work on the fleet. Those efforts reflect broader pressure on local and state transport agencies to fill gaps left when federal support or staffing is constrained by the shutdown.
Transportation leaders framed the Nov. 14 deadline as a critical near-term benchmark for completing mandated inspections and maintenance work that underpin passenger and operational safety. The confluence of that deadline with the ongoing budget standoff complicates planning for carriers, ports and transit agencies already managing reduced capacity and delayed maintenance cycles.
As the shutdown stretches on, travelers and commuters face heightened uncertainty. The DOT warning establishes a clear conditional path: continued disruption and unaddressed staffing shortfalls could prompt airspace restrictions or more severe service curtailments, while completion of inspections and restoration of staffing would be necessary to avoid broader closures. With the Nov. 14 inspection deadline approaching and no immediate resolution to the shutdown reported on Tuesday, officials indicated that decisions about further limits on travel operations would hinge on developments in the coming days.