The federal shutdown may be over, but its turbulence is far from behind us. Nowhere were the consequences more visible than in the skies. Delays slammed nearly every major U.S. airport, air traffic controller training ground to a halt, and long-term modernization projects were temporarily shelved when they were needed the most.
As the dust settles in Washington, policymakers must make a renewed commitment to improving America’s aviation infrastructure and to helping shield it from future political games of chicken. Establishing a longer-term funding mechanism for the Federal Aviation Administration would protect critical operations and modernization efforts when the lights go dark on Capitol Hill.
The U.S. aviation network is running on outdated technology and borrowed time. A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found that 51 of the nation’s 138 FAA systems are considered “unsustainable.” Paper strips, floppy disks, and technology that looks better suited for a museum display are far too common in America’s air traffic control towers.
Meanwhile, more than 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, straining an already fragile system and elevating the risk of delays for millions. Earlier this summer, for example, delays caused by widespread staffing shortages stymied travel plans for passengers flying through Washington, D.C., and Newark. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy even changed his family’s flight plan to steer clear of New York’s crowded skies.
Those cracks only widened during the shutdown. Air traffic controllers — whose paychecks depend on annual appropriations by Congress — were forced to work without pay, guiding planes through the nation’s busiest airspace while worrying about their own household bills. Some took on second jobs. Others simply called it quits.
The result? The FAA was forced to cancel up to 1 in 10 commercial flights. By mid-November, over 5 million passengers experienced disruptions on the tarmac.
Worse yet, the shutdown didn’t just ground flights; the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, which trains new controllers to fill the national shortage, closed its doors, too. This translates to fewer trainees entering airport towers to backfill vacancies.
The same can be said about critical aviation upgrades and modernization efforts. In July, Congress approved $12.5 billion to help finance Duffy’s blueprint to modernize air traffic control systems. The plan includes replacing copper wires with fiber-optic cable, building new radar and weather systems, and bringing 21st-century technology into control towers. But some of these projects were frozen during the shutdown.
Lawmakers in Washington don’t have to rewrite the script to solve this problem. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare operate with dedicated funding sources that aren’t subject to annual budget battles. When lawmakers leave town, Americans continue to receive their benefits.
OVER 1,000 FLIGHTS CANCELED DAY AFTER GOVERNMENT REOPENS
Similar protections, or at least more long-term appropriations, should be granted to the FAA. It would ensure steady investment in staffing, safety, and technology, regardless of political turbulence. For example, passing legislation that allows the FAA to dip into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to pay air traffic controllers during future shutdowns would be a good first step.
The recent shutdown exposed how fragile our nation’s aviation system has become. Regardless of when the next standoff arrives, flights cannot operate on partisan timelines. Congress must insulate FAA funding to keep America’s skies safe, staffed, and modernized.
Jackson Shedelbower is the executive director of the Center for Transportation Policy.