Shutdown could ground flights

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Monday that the U.S. could shut down its airspace if travel became unsafe, as the ongoing government shutdown strains air traffic staffing.

By

National News

November 4, 2025 - 2:10 PM

U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaking alongside air traffic controllers union leaders at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Photo by Evan Simko-Bednarski/New York Daily News/TNS

WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’d close U.S. airspace if officials determined air travel was dangerous, as the government shutdown stretches into its second month.

“If we thought that it was unsafe, we’ll shut the whole airspace down,” Duffy said on Monday in an interview with CNBC. He said that the U.S. isn’t there yet but the shutdown adds more risk to the aviation system.

The Federal Aviation Administration was forced to slow traffic at many airports last week due to rising controller staffing shortages since the government…

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