Duffy Warns FAA Might Close Parts of U.S. Airspace If Shutdown Continues

Secretary predicts airport ‘chaos’ by next week.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, November 05, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An air traffic control tower in San Francisco [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that continued government shutdown could lead to the closure of parts of the nation's airspace if essential workers, like air traffic controllers, are not paid.
The prolonged shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, is already causing widespread flight delays and cancellations as unpaid FAA and TSA essential workers increasingly call out sick.
Duffy blames Democrats for the growing "mass chaos" and disruptions, though there are hints that a compromise bill to end the 36-day shutdown might be in the works.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday that he may be forced to close parts of the nation’s airspace if the federal government shutdown continues for much longer.

“None of us can manage missing two paychecks,” Duffy said at a press conference. “So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays. You will see mass cancellations. And you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have air traffic controllers.”