Newark Airport. Photo: Shutterstock The U.S. aviation industry is on the path to recovery. After a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, a temporary funding bill approved by Congress ended the crisis.
As reported earlier, the shutdown led to a significant shortage of air traffic controllers, resulting in dramatic reductions in air traffic across 40 major U.S. airports. Estimates suggest the shutdown caused losses exceeding $6 billion in the tourism sector and severely impacted aviation services, with tens of thousands of flights canceled, affecting millions of passengers.
Now, with the end of the strike, the U.S. aviation industry is beginning to return to normal operations. Disruptions will gradually wane, but airlines warn of possible delays and cancellations in the coming days until air traffic control systems and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are fully stabilized.
The President of the U.S. Travel Association, Jeff Freeman, strongly criticized the government's conduct, stating that any government shutdown is an "irresponsible act" that jeopardizes essential services, erodes public trust, and causes significant economic harm. He suggested ensuring essential workers, such as air traffic controllers and security personnel, continue to receive pay during future crises. Additionally, he called for substantial investment in infrastructure, technology, and workforce to maintain industry stability.
Leading U.S. airlines welcomed the end of the shutdown. American Airlines announced it is already seeing reduced pressure on air traffic control but stressed that some disruptions may continue until a full return to normal: "American Airlines is pleased that the longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended. We are encouraged by the last few days of operations, which have already resulted in fewer delays and cancellations. That means fewer day-of delays and close-in cancellations for our customers."
The company added that they were "well positioned to recover quickly" due to their operational decisions aimed at minimizing disruption while limiting inconvenience for customers through "unprecedented actions to provide flexibility."
The company also thanked customers "for their loyalty and patience throughout a challenging period, and recommended they keep checking their flight status via the American App or the company's website."
Delta Air Lines also addressed the end of the shutdown, expressing gratitude to government employees, including air traffic controllers and security staff, who continued working unpaid to maintain operational continuity and safety.
"Delta appreciates the work of the U.S. Congress to reopen the federal government. We are extremely grateful to all the federal workers including air traffic controllers and officers with the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection who worked without a paycheck for more than 40 days to keep our skies safe and secure , and to Delta people who went above and beyond to take care of our customers and government workers during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. We look forward to bringing our operation back to full capacity over the next few days and delivering the premium experience our customers expect as we look ahead to the holiday season.", the company said.