Millions face flight delays and cancellations during Thanksgiving amid shutdown, US White House warns

As the US government shutdown enters its 23rd day, the White House has warned of escalating disruptions across the country’s airports, particularly ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

“With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, we are nearing the busiest travel period of the entire year, when millions of Americans will head to airports to spend time with their loved ones,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Blaming the Democrats for the prolonged shutdown, she added, “If the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations at major airports across the country this holiday season.”

She continued, “If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel.”

Leavitt claimed the Democrats were indifferent to the suffering of the American people. “Instead, they are more focused on playing political games against President Donald Trump, a dangerous trend that needs to end,” she said.

She noted that more than 500,000 civilian federal employees are set to miss their paychecks, including around 13,000 air traffic controllers, who are continuing to work without pay. “It is egregious and truly sad,” she stated.

Leavitt highlighted the serious disruptions at airports caused by the shutdown. “On a single day this week, the FAA had to issue ground stops affecting flights at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport,” she said.

???? BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt is furious that because of Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, tomorrow, over 500 THOUSAND Americans will miss a paycheck... ...and 13,000 air traffic controllers. Chuck owns

it. "More than 500,000 civilian federal employees will miss a full paycheck… pic.twitter.com/lq1Z9f27Nb

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 23, 2025

“Thousands of small business loans are going unapproved each month. This means almost $4 billion in capital is being withheld from small businesses across the country,” she added.

She also reported that several federal employees are reportedly taking up driving for Uber or other second jobs to make ends meet as the shutdown continues.

During a Capitol Hill press conference, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “I can’t guarantee that your flight will be on time. I can’t guarantee that your flight won’t be cancelled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming into work every single day.”

Since the shutdown began, 53 per cent of flight delays have been caused by air traffic control absences, compared with 5 per cent typically. According to flight-tracking site FlightAware, around 5,000 flights were delayed on Thursday, and more than 700 were cancelled.

The US government entered a shutdown on 1 October 2025, after Congress failed to pass appropriations bills for the 2026 fiscal year.