US Shutdown Nears End, But Thousands of Flights Still Canceled

On Monday, November 10, 2025, more than 2,000 flights were canceled across the US as the ongoing government shutdown continued to cause widespread air travel disruptions.

A day earlier, on November 9, cancellations exceeded 2,600 flights, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

The shutdown, which began on October 1, prompted aviation officials to restrict flight operations at 40 major airports starting November 7 due to staffing shortages, particularly among air traffic controllers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially capped cancellations at 4 percent, but raised the limit to 6 percent by November 11, with plans to increase it to 10 percent by the end of the week.

This escalation has severely affected major hubs, including Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, and New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Airlines such as American, United, Delta, and Southwest have all been forced to cancel hundreds of flights daily.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that conditions could deteriorate further as the Thanksgiving holiday travel rush approaches.

Despite the chaos, the US Senate passed a bipartisan preliminary deal on November 10 to end the shutdown, which had reached 41 days by then, making it the longest in US history.

The proposed bill would restore federal funding through January 30, 2026, and provide back pay for furloughed federal workers, including FAA personnel.

However, even with this progress, operations had not yet fully resumed due to logistical challenges in reopening.

The House of Representatives had not reconvened as of the latest update, but is expected to take up the measure by November 12.

Until then, flight delays and cancellations are expected to continue, with travelers advised to prepare for extended waits and sudden schedule changes during the peak holiday travel period.

Photo by Joshi Milestoner on Unsplash