The Department of Transportation is forced to shut down airspace

Question

The Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down the airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown continues into next week. I saw this and was curious about how the government shut down will affect the DoT. Air traffic controllers are not getting paid, and it could affect travel as the holiday season is approaching. So I wonder if this is true, as I have heard many threats of problems arising due to the government shutdown that have yet to come to fruition.

Answer 1

This is true. When a government shutdown, all federal employees paychecks stop coming. This includes those who work in the DOT, like TSA and air traffic controllers. Once people stop getting paid, there's less incentive to go to work and consequently there's major staffing issues. With many absences, it is only in the best interest for some parts of airspace to be shut down for safety concerns. You simply cannot perform safety, structure, and traffic checks with a limited amount.

Now, expect airport lines to increase and many flights to be cancelled. 

Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down some airspace next week: Duffy - ABC News

Transportation Department may close parts of airspace if government shutdown continues, Duffy says

Answer 2

The claim that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) might be forced to shut down parts of U.S. airspace if the government shutdown continues is partially true but incomplete. On November 4, 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly warned that certain airspace could be closed due to severe staffing shortages among air-traffic controllers, who are working without pay. In response, the FAA has already taken proactive measures, including reducing air traffic by about 10% at 40 major U.S. airports to mitigate safety risks. However, as of now, there is no verified report that any large portions of U.S. airspace have actually been closed. The warning represents a potential, conditional scenario rather than a current reality. Therefore, while the risk of airspace closure is real and acknowledged by officials, the claim would only be fully accurate if the DOT and FAA were to implement actual closures.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-warns-mass-chaos-may-need-close-some-airspace-if-government-shutdown-2025-11-04/?

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-airlines-faae39c423facec2b0dcc2544af48de0fa1

https://people.com/transportation-secretary-warns-parts-of-u-s-airspace-may-close-if-government-shutdown-continues-11844147?