U.S. airlines are calling on Congress to act quickly to advance the shutdown deal reached in the Senate on Nov. 9 as flight delays and cancellations mount.
But even a quick end to the shutdown won't mean an immediate return to aviation normalcy, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association labor union.
"The shutdown isn't a light switch. It's not just on and it's not just off," he said, noting that the agreement Senate Republicans have reached with eight Senate Democrats would only fund the government through January.
After the 2019 shutdown, Daniels said, it took more than two months for controllers to receive their full backpay.
Controllers aren't being paid during this shutdown either, forcing many to take moonlighting jobs or fret about their finances, he said. In the meantime, they'll be aware that a renewed shutdown would again halt paychecks.
Trump scolds ATCs who have skipped work
Controller call-outs have risen since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. President Trump scolded controllers in a Truth Social post on Monday.
"All air traffic controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!," Trump wrote. The president threatened to dock controllers who have called out and said he would recommend a $10,000 bonus for those who have not taken time off.
Trump's blustery approach toward controllers contrasts sharply with Duffy's empathetic one throughout the shutdown.
The FAA said it ordered a reduction in air traffic because of controller fatigue. Under an FAA order that took effect on Nov. 7, airlines are required to trim schedules by 4% at 39 commercial airports. The percentage will rise to 6% on Nov. 11 and 10% by Nov. 14.
Actual cancellation numbers on Monday are well above what was mandated by the FAA. In the early evening, U.S. flight cancellations exceeded 2,200, according to FlightAware.
On Sunday, 2,631 flights were canceled according to Cirium -- about 10% of scheduled flights and the fourth worst day for cancellations since the beginning of 2024 and the worst during the current shutdown. In addition, 30% of flights had departure delays of more than 30 minutes, with especially big choke points at Chicago O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airports.
Despite the supposed controller fatigue, airline operations had been relatively good during the shutdown until the FAA-mandated reduction in air traffic.
How will Thanksgiving air travel fare?
The Senate deal reached on Sunday evening hasn't yet guaranteed an end to the shutdown. The measure received the necessary 60 votes to open the Senate floor for a formal debate and vote on a resolution to fund the government through January. If passed by the Senate, the resolution also must be passed by the House and signed by the president.
Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving travel period is on the horizon. On Sunday, Duffy predicted on CNN that air travel challenges would prevent a "substantial" number of Americans from visiting their families on Thanksgiving.
United was among the industry stakeholders sounding the alarm bell.
"Our customers and employees have experienced firsthand the negative impact of the shutdown and staffing shortages causing flight delays, disruptions and cancellations," the carrier said after Sunday's Senate deal emerged.
"It is critical that the Senate quickly send this legislation to the House and the House pass it as soon as possible, so that government can reopen and reliable air travel can resume as we near the busy holiday travel season."