FAA air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Queens, New York, United States, Friday, November 7, 2025.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Flight cancellations eased across the United States on Wednesday ahead of a House vote on a funding bill that could end the longest federal government shutdown in history.
House members could vote on the bill, which passed the Senate earlier this week, around 7 p.m. ET. The shutdown put air travel back in the spotlight and increased the burden on air traffic controllers, who must work without receiving a regular paycheck.
According to aviation data firm Cirium, 811 flights departing from the United States were canceled on Wednesday, representing 3.5% of airline schedules and the lowest level since last Thursday.
Trump administration officials on Friday began requiring airlines to reduce their flight schedules, citing safety risks and additional strain on air traffic controllers. But the layoffs were not enough to avoid further disruption, compounded by widespread staffing shortages and bad weather, which led to a flurry of cancellations and delays last weekend.
delta airlines Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the closures will impact the company’s finances, but won’t wipe out its profits. He warned that he believed there would be another grounding at some point, and said air traffic controllers should be paid if that happened.
U.S. airline stocks rose broadly on Wednesday ahead of the House vote.
Air traffic controller shortages have increased during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, resulting in thousands of flights being delayed or canceled altogether and disrupting the travel plans of 5 million passengers, according to Airlines for America, a trade group representing the nation’s largest airlines. Some air traffic controllers have been forced to take second jobs to make ends meet, according to controller unions and government officials.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy and major airlines warned this week that air travel would not immediately return to normal after the shutdown.
“We’re going to wait until we see the data before lifting any travel restrictions, but that depends on air traffic controllers returning to work,” Duffy said Tuesday at a news conference at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
