US Airport Turmoil Deepens as Shutdown Grounds Hundreds More Flights

Washington — Hundreds more flights across the United States were cancelled on Monday amid the ongoing government shutdown and staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, flight tracking website FlightAware reported.

Nearly 1,500 domestic and international flights were cancelled, while more than 8,600 faced delays, according to the platform. Over the weekend, more than 4,500 flights were grounded nationwide and abroad.

The disruption stems from a budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans in Congress that has paralysed large parts of the federal government. The shutdown is now in its 41st day.

Although the Senate voted late Sunday to begin debating a temporary funding measure passed by the House of Representatives, the move marks only an initial step toward ending what has become the longest shutdown in US history.

Much of the regular government operation remains crippled, with many federal employees going unpaid, including air traffic controllers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN that 15 to 20 controllers are retiring each day due to lack of pay, compared with an average of four per day under normal circumstances.

Operations at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and for ground staff at airports are also affected.

The FAA has begun scaling back flight operations by about 4%, with reductions potentially reaching 10% by mid-month.

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