US Shutdown Forces FAA to Furlough 11,322 Workers

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that 11,322 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees will be furloughed as part of the response to the government shutdown that started on October 1, 2025.

The furloughs primarily affect FAA employees involved in activities not essential to immediate aviation safety. Specifically, this includes staff engaged in regular aviation rulemaking, background checks on personnel, and administrative services such as investment strategy and financial audits.

Meanwhile, over 13,200 air traffic controllers and essential personnel will continue working without pay to maintain safe and secure air travel. This includes specialists responsible for hiring, field training, navigational infrastructure management, accident investigations, and commercial space launch oversight.

Additionally, important functions such as emergency response communications, aircraft and airmen registration, and managing foreign aviation safety cooperation will continue uninterrupted.

The shutdown threatens to increase flight delays, create operational backlogs, and delay critical modernization projects. The US Travel Association has forecasted that these disruptions could cost the travel economy as much as $1 billion every week.

Photo by Nice M Nshuti on Unsplash