(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Air travel disruptions in the United States worsened as the federal government shutdown entered its 27th day, with nearly 7,000 flights delayed nationwide on Monday due to a growing shortage of air traffic controllers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported staffing shortages that necessitated ground delay programs, affecting operations at multiple airports.

Around 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have been working without pay amid the budget deadlock between Republican President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress, which led to the government shutdown.

A US Department of Transportation official said that 44 percent of the delays were attributed to the shortage of air traffic controllers, a sharp rise from the usual 5 percent.

The mounting flight delays and cancellations have deepened public frustration and intensified scrutiny of the shutdown's impact, increasing pressure on lawmakers to resolve the political impasse.

The FAA is currently short about 3,500 air traffic controllers, many of whom were already working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks before the shutdown began.

During the previous 35-day government shutdown in 2019, rising absenteeism among unpaid air traffic controllers and TSA officers led to longer wait times at airport checkpoints and further slowed air travel across the country.

Air travel disruptions FAA TSA

MENAFN28102025000067011011ID1110256979