Air Travel May Not Fully Recover Post-Shutdown, With Thanksgiving Season Around The Corner

A major trade association representing American, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines warned Monday residual effects from the government shutdown could still impact air travel for days after the government is reopened.

Airlines for America announced disruptions in travel could persist, following the Senate’s passage of a funding bill to reopen the government, which will now move to the House for approval later this week. The 42-day shutdown, the longest in history, has upended travel plans for millions as air traffic controllers have gone over a month without pay, forcing them to resort to donating plasma or driving for DoorDash and Uber to pay their bills.

“Airlines’ reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full capacity right after the government reopens. It will take time, and there will be residual effects for days. With the Thanksgiving travel period beginning next week and the busy shipping season around the corner, the time to act is now to help mitigate any further impacts to Americans,” the trade association’s statement said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines to cut their flights by 4-10% at 40 airports nationwide on Nov. 7, citing mounting stress on air traffic controllers. The flight reductions increased to 6% on Tuesday and will grow to 10% on Friday, just one week before pre-Thanksgiving travel is expected to begin.

On Sunday, one in ten scheduled flights did not take off and over 10,000 trips were delayed, marking the fourth-worst day of 2025 for flight cancellations, per the New York Times. The flight restrictions have slammed Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, New York’s LaGuardia and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport the hardest.

House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged the airline disruptions in a Monday press conference, telling lawmakers, “You need to begin right now in returning to the Hill,” to ensure there are no delays in taking up the stopgap funding bill.

Some lawmakers, such as Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Republican Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden have already committed to alternate forms of travel to avoid airports, such as Amtrak trains from Georgia to Washington D.C., and motorcycles from Wisconsin to the nation’s capital.

In a Monday Truth Social post, President Donald Trump threatened repercussions for air traffic controllers who have been calling out of work while claiming those who have been showing up throughout the shutdown deserve $10,000 bonuses.

“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump said in the post. “For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax,” I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”

Americans continue to grow uneasy over their flight plans, even as the shutdown appears to be nearing an end. Approximately 64% of travelers would cancel their trips entirely if flight cancellations continue, and 72% would bypass flying altogether in favor of other forms of transportation, according to a survey by Beach.com.

The travel website polled 1,006 respondents across the country in November.

The majority of those surveyed by Beach.com felt airlines should offer compensation over shutdown-related delays, proving the requirement for airlines to issue full refunds for cancelled flights to be popular. The FAA’s refund policy also stretches to travelers who opt not to travel on a domestic flight delayed by more than three hours, or an international flight delayed by more than six hours.

Staring down a road of more travel disruptions and a busy holiday season, Airlines for America had one last plea for lawmakers in Congress: “We encourage the House to pass the bill swiftly.”