The paralysis of the federal government aggravates the personnel shortage, threatening the safety and regularity of flights. In the foreground are the statements of the ceo of Delta Air Lines

 The US federal government shutdown, now in its 27th day, has triggered an operational crisis that is paralyzing air traffic across the country, with thousands of flights delayed. The emergency is driven by a severe shortage of essential personnel, forced to work without pay.

The Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, estimated the direct financial loss to his company from the prolonged shutdown at just under $1 million per day. In interviews, Bastian pointed primarily to staffing shortages, both for airport security and air traffic control. Approximately 50,000 agents of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and 13,000 air traffic controllers are considered essential workers and are required to continue service without receiving pay. In particular today, Tuesday, October 28, air traffic controllers are set to not receive their first full paycheck for October, a factor that authorities and unions say could increase absenteeism, further compromising the safety and efficiency of the sector.

Data released yesterday Monday by flight-tracking sites such as FlightAware have documented the scale of the problem, recording over 8,000 flight delays nationwide on the previous day (see the AVIONEWS report). This trend has significantly affected major airport hubs, including strategic nodes such as Chicago "O'Hare", Washington "Reagan National", Newark "Liberty", Los Angeles International and "LaGuardia" in New York, where the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has had to implement ground delay programs. FAA has also expressed concern about the potential worsening of disruptions ahead of the holiday period.

Delta, along with other major carriers such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, is applying increasing pressure for a rapid reopening of the government, an appeal also shared by pilots' associations.

Bastian also drew attention to the ongoing dispute with the Department of Transportation (Dot) regarding the requirement to unwind the joint venture with Aeromexico by January 1st, 2026. This further complicates an already difficult situation for Delta. Although management does not expect a rapid resolution, Delta and Aeromexico have taken legal action against the government order, warning that ending the partnership, ordered for alleged anticompetitive effects, would cause "serious operational disruptions" and a loss of consumer benefits estimated at up to $800 million a year.