Boston Logan International Airport, Denver International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport experienced delays and ground stops as the US federal government shutdown entered its second month and air traffic controllers missed their first full pay cheque.
As the government shutdown hits Day 27, flight delays soared past 5,600 hours. The shutdown, which began at midnight on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, has entered its fourth week with effects on aviation, hospitality, national parks, and museums.
Non-essential federal operations ceased, leading to furloughs for 800,000 civilian workers and unpaid service for 1.4m essential staff, including those in transportation and public sites. The shutdown, the third longest in US history at 28 days, stems from disputes over spending priorities in a €6.2 trillion federal budget.
On Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “My message has been to controllers ‘Show up. That’s your job. Eventually you’re going to be paid.’ But there’s real-life situations that they’re dealing with, with their families.”
The US Travel Association estimates losses of €1bn weekly to the travel economy from altered plans for parks, historic sites, and the capital. In aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration reports controller shortages at airports in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Newark, Dallas, and Houston, with training for 2,000 new hires paused since October 1.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association states that furloughed safety support staff and suspended programmes reduce efficiency in the National Airspace System, contributing to delays averaging 45 minutes at major hubs and 12pc cancellation rates for domestic flights in the week to October 21.
The Transportation Security Administration furloughed 2,500 screeners, causing queues exceeding two hours at LaGuardia, O’Hare, and Dallas-Fort Worth, though essential personnel maintain core screening. International arrivals face no visa processing delays yet, but passport services at 26 agencies slowed by 40pc.
The wider aviation sector absorbs strain from reduced Canadian visitors, down 15pc year-on-year amid political tensions. Hospitality operators report €350m in lost bookings for October, with hotels near Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon seeing occupancy drop to 25pc from 65pc last autumn.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association notes 50,000 room nights cancelled weekly, concentrated in gateway towns like Jackson, Wyoming, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where small businesses face revenue shortfalls of €200m monthly. Cruise lines maintain port operations with Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection agents on duty, but excursions to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island halted, redirecting 20,000 passengers to alternative itineraries. Amtrak services continue unaffected as a self-funded entity, but federal subsidies for rural routes paused, prompting fare reviews.
National parks remain accessible under contingency plans, with roads, trails, lookouts, and open-air memorials open where feasible, but visitor centres, restrooms, and campgrounds closed at 80pc of sites. The National Park Service furloughed 12,000 rangers and staff, leading to uncollected trash, unrepaired roads, and €15m in deferred maintenance by October 28.
Over 40 former superintendents urged full closures to prevent damage seen in the 2019 shutdown, when €11m in repairs followed from vandalism and erosion, yet parks like Everglades and Grand Canyon operate with minimal oversight, drawing 500,000 visitors weekly under self-guided access.
States including Colorado and Utah fund local staffing at four and five parks respectively, costing €5m combined, to sustain operations. Museums under the Smithsonian Institution closed on October 7 after exhausting prior-year funds, affecting 21 facilities and the National Zoo in Washington and two in New York City, with 1.9m visitors to the Air and Space Museum alone in 2024 now redirected.
The National Gallery of Art shuttered on October 5, while non-federal sites like the Phillips Collection and National Building Museum remain open. Government contractors for maintenance at federal buildings and museums furloughed 5,000 workers, halting cleaning and repairs valued at €10m weekly.
The shutdown paused E-Verify for employment checks, delaying hires in tourism sectors, and froze Small Business Administration loans totalling €860m weekly for 1,600 enterprises. Congress debates a €1.5 trillion stopgap bill, but partisan divides over defence and immigration funding delay resolution, with economists projecting €25bn in total economic drag by November 1.
Essential services like Social Security payments and Medicare continue, but customer support lines operate at 50pc capacity. The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks warns of long-term risks to biodiversity from unmonitored sites, while the US Chamber of Commerce calls for bipartisan action to avert €50bn in annual tourism losses if extended to December.
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