Trump Admin Sounds Alarm Over Risk of Flight Delays as Controllers Set to Miss Paycheck

Absences among unpaid air traffic staff could cause delays in air travel, especially with the holiday season around the corner.
Trump Admin Sounds Alarm Over Risk of Flight Delays as Controllers Set to Miss Paycheck
A traffic control tower at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on July 1, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
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The White House on Thursday warned that the ongoing government shutdown, now on day 23, could cause delays for air travel as the holiday season approaches and as air traffic controllers are set to miss their first full paycheck.

“We fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press conference Thursday. “If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel.”

Kimberly Hayek
Kimberly Hayek
Author
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.