Government Shutdown: Where Flight Controllers Moonlight as Unicorns
KEY POINTS
- ā¢As the government shutdown continues, hundreds of flights have been canceled across the United States.
- ā¢Air traffic controllers, working without pay, are calling out sick, exacerbating existing staffing shortages.
- ā¢Major airlines like American, Delta, and United are facing significant disruptions at key airports nationwide.
On a Friday no one wanted, hundreds of flights were canceled thanks to a government shutdown that turned the FAA's air traffic controllers into unpaid ghost pilots. American, Delta, and United Airlines took the brunt, with major hubs like Atlanta, Chicago, and Denver resembling a sad Air Bud tryout for patience. Controllers, calling out sick because 'working for free' apparently isn't the new currency, piled on shortages that were already sky-high. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hinted this could get worse, basically promising more grounded planes until Congress finishes their 'funding poker'. Meanwhile, stranded passengers are stuck starring in a real-life 'Flightmare' edition of Survivor, starring airport floors as their only luxury suite.
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Air traffic controllers are playing hide and seek, unpaid and apparently invisible, while airlines turn airports into extended surprise parties nobody RSVPed to. Government shutdown: master of turning travel dreams into limited edition nightmares.
Who knew the government shutdown's hottest new hobby was turning major airports into glorified parking lots? Delta and United must be loving this 'voluntary no-fly zone' business model.
Signed, sealed, and canceled: American Airlines flies you to the terminal lounge via involuntary government budget drama. Next stopāwaiting in lightning-fast lines of despair.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/8/2025 | Author: Paul Squire
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