The federal shutdown that began on October 1 roared into its 35th day on November 4, 2025, eclipsing the previous record and hitting the mobility sector hardest. Speaking on Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will have no choice but to “take airspace off-line” if Congress fails to pass a funding bill this week. Duffy said chronic shortages of unpaid air-traffic controllers have already triggered ground-stops and multi-hour delays at Newark, LaGuardia, Chicago O’Hare and Houston Intercontinental.
Behind the scenes, FAA planners have drafted an unprecedented order to cut available airspace capacity by 4 percent starting Friday, rising to 10 percent at the 40 busiest “Core 30” airports if staffing deteriorates further. A senior FAA official told reporters the plan would eliminate roughly 1,700 daily departures—more than the busiest day of the Thanksgiving rush—unless lawmakers restore agency funding. The Air Traffic Controllers Association says nearly one-third of its 14,900 members have called out sick or are working six-day overtime weeks without pay.
![Record-long U.S. shutdown forces FAA to plan nationwide flight reductions]()
Knock-on effects are radiating across global mobility programs. Multinational firms report stalled expatriate relocations as relocating employees struggle to secure flights or book household-goods shipments that rely on belly-hold cargo. The U.S. Travel Association estimates the shutdown is now draining $325 million a day from the travel economy and could wipe out half a million Thanksgiving trips if the impasse drags on.
The shutdown is also delaying security-critical modernization projects. A $4 billion upgrade of JFK’s Terminal 1 and the NextGen satellite-based air-traffic system are both on hold. Duffy called the logjam “an existential threat to American aviation leadership,” while airline CEOs from Delta, United and Southwest jointly urged Congress to “end the political brinkmanship that is endangering jobs and travelers alike.” Until a deal is reached, global mobility managers should advise travelers to build in at least half a day of buffer time, purchase fully flexible tickets and monitor FAA traffic management advisories.
Looking ahead, companies with assignees in remote U.S. locations should prepare contingency plans: corporate shuttle charters may be the only way to move mission-critical staff if the FAA order expands to regional airports. Immigration counsel also warn of cascading effects, as stranded foreign nationals risk overstaying visas while awaiting outbound flights. Mobility teams are urged to maintain close contact with travel departments, counsel employees on alternative routings through Canada or Mexico, and document all shutdown-related costs for potential tax or insurance claims.
Behind the scenes, FAA planners have drafted an unprecedented order to cut available airspace capacity by 4 percent starting Friday, rising to 10 percent at the 40 busiest “Core 30” airports if staffing deteriorates further. A senior FAA official told reporters the plan would eliminate roughly 1,700 daily departures—more than the busiest day of the Thanksgiving rush—unless lawmakers restore agency funding. The Air Traffic Controllers Association says nearly one-third of its 14,900 members have called out sick or are working six-day overtime weeks without pay.
Knock-on effects are radiating across global mobility programs. Multinational firms report stalled expatriate relocations as relocating employees struggle to secure flights or book household-goods shipments that rely on belly-hold cargo. The U.S. Travel Association estimates the shutdown is now draining $325 million a day from the travel economy and could wipe out half a million Thanksgiving trips if the impasse drags on.
The shutdown is also delaying security-critical modernization projects. A $4 billion upgrade of JFK’s Terminal 1 and the NextGen satellite-based air-traffic system are both on hold. Duffy called the logjam “an existential threat to American aviation leadership,” while airline CEOs from Delta, United and Southwest jointly urged Congress to “end the political brinkmanship that is endangering jobs and travelers alike.” Until a deal is reached, global mobility managers should advise travelers to build in at least half a day of buffer time, purchase fully flexible tickets and monitor FAA traffic management advisories.
Looking ahead, companies with assignees in remote U.S. locations should prepare contingency plans: corporate shuttle charters may be the only way to move mission-critical staff if the FAA order expands to regional airports. Immigration counsel also warn of cascading effects, as stranded foreign nationals risk overstaying visas while awaiting outbound flights. Mobility teams are urged to maintain close contact with travel departments, counsel employees on alternative routings through Canada or Mexico, and document all shutdown-related costs for potential tax or insurance claims.
