Staffing shortages cause more US flight delays as government shutdown reaches 7th day

A blue Korean air plane taxis at an airport in front of the Delta logo
A Korean Air charter plane taxis at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

This story was updated on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at 7:57 p.m.

Staffing shortages led to more flight delays at airports across the U.S. on Tuesday as the federal government shutdown stretched into a seventh day, while union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners warned the situation was likely to get worse.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities.