The Government Shutdown Has Turned U.S. Air Travel Into Chaos — and the "Misery Map" Shows Just How Bad It’s Getting

The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has grounded more than just federal operations — it’s wreaking havoc across the nation’s air travel system. With air traffic controllers working without pay and staffing shortages compounding by the day, the chaos is now visible in real time thanks to an online tracker dubbed the “Misery Map.”

Created by FlightAware, the Misery Map paints a stark picture of how badly the aviation system is buckling under strain. Since October 30, the site has logged thousands of delays and cancellations across 17 major U.S. airports, from New York City’s LaGuardia and JFK to Los Angeles International (LAX) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).

By Saturday afternoon, there had been over 9,000 flight delays nationwide since Friday and more than 650 cancellations, according to FlightAware. On Saturday alone, 2,800 flights were delayed before 4 p.m. ET.

The biggest chokepoints:

• Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW): 153 delays

• Denver International (DEN): 86 delays

• Los Angeles International (LAX): 83 delays

• New York-area airports (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark): highest cancellation-to-schedule ratios

Aviation analytics firm Cirium confirmed that the New York metro area remains the hardest hit, though it noted a mild improvement on Saturday — largely because weekend schedules mean fewer flights overall.

But even flights that do take off aren’t immune. With reroutes around understaffed air traffic control centers, cross-country travel times are lengthening, turning what should be quick hops into exhausting marathons.

Controllers Working Without Pay

Since the shutdown began on October 1, roughly 13,000 FAA air traffic controllers have kept America’s skies running — without pay. Their last partial paychecks were issued on October 28, after which salaries stopped entirely.

The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged the strain in a Friday evening post on X (formerly Twitter):

“Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system. The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.”

Airline Workers Are Stepping In

With morale at a breaking point, airline pilots and flight attendants have stepped up to help — sending food and care packages to unpaid controllers stationed at critical hubs nationwide.

Meanwhile, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has urged its members to remain professional and avoid any coordinated absences that could further cripple the system. In a message to its 20,000 members, the union wrote:

“At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level public service we provide every day.”

NATCA President Nick Daniels has publicly pleaded with Congress to pass a short-term spending bill to restore funding and stabilize the situation.

“Whatever the means are, whatever the way that they get it done — that’s what the American people deserve, that’s what the flying public deserves, and especially our air traffic controllers,” Daniels said this week from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

For now, the Misery Map tells the story better than words: a nation’s skies dimming in red and orange, as America’s aviation workers keep planes moving — on empty stomachs and unpaid promises.