LAmag
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Anastasia Van Batenburg
With one of the busiest travel holidays fast approaching, officials are urging airline passengers departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to prepare for possible disruptions. The ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history after the Senate’s 14th failed vote today, has thrown the nation’s air travel system into uncertainty.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a stark warning today, announcing that if the shutdown extends another week, the U.S. could be forced to close portions of its airspace.
“If this continues, Democrats, you will see mass chaos,” Duffy said. “We’ll experience major flight delays, widespread cancellations, and possibly even regional airspace shutdowns. We simply don’t have enough air traffic controllers to keep everything running safely.”
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Many air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, and the strain is showing. On Sunday, LAX and San Diego International Airport saw average delays of more than an hour. During the same weekend, FAA staffing reports reflected nearly 100 staffing shortage triggers, the highest number since the shutdown began.
Vice President JD Vance echoed the urgency during a White House meeting last Thursday, noting the instability in the system. “Air travel could be a disaster,” Vance said, “because at that point you’re talking about people missing three or even four paychecks.”
In a joint appeal to Congress, several industry leaders, including the heads of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, the Allied Pilots Association, and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, released a video calling on lawmakers to approve a clean Continuing Resolution (CR) bill that would extend government funding through November 21.
Data from FlightAware shows that 2,565 U.S. flights had been delayed as of Tuesday afternoon. That follows 4,720 delays on Monday and nearly 6,000 on Sunday, numbers that underline the growing strain on the aviation system.
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The U.S. Travel Association is warning that if the shutdown persists, the Thanksgiving travel period could become a “meltdown,” potentially costing the travel economy up to $4 billion.
Last year, more than 200,000 passengers traveled through LAX on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. And this year, bookings are already up according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, which reported a 2% increase in reservations for Thanksgiving travel compared to 2024.
For now, officials advise travelers to arrive early, monitor their flight status closely, and brace for potential long lines and delays. Ultimately, millions of Americans are left hoping the shutdown ends before the holiday rush hits full stride.
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