U.S. Airlines Estimate Over 3.2 Million Affected by Government Shutdown

More than 3.2 million passengers on U.S. airlines have been affected by delays or cancellations caused by air traffic controller staffing issues since the partial government shutdown began on October 1, a group representing major carriers reported Monday.

Airlines for America (A4A) — which represents American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and other major carriers — said that 16% of flight delays in October were due to staffing problems, compared with the usual 5% before the shutdown.

The group added that more than 300,000 passengers were affected on Friday alone, marking the worst day since the start of the partial government shutdown.