A government shutdown in the United States is causing chaos in the skies, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations. The core issue stems from air traffic controllers, who haven’t received a paycheck since the budget impasse began on October 1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported significant staffing shortages at 42 airport towers and control centers. The impact was immediate: on Saturday alone, around 1,500 flights were canceled nationwide, with an additional 6,000 delayed.
Aviation Authority Orders Cuts
In response, the FAA instructed airlines on Friday to cut 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports. Officials plan to escalate these reductions to 10% by November 14. U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy warned that if the staffing crisis worsens, cuts could reach as high as 20% of all air traffic.
Congress Scrambles for Solution
Meanwhile, there appears to be some movement in the budget dispute between Senate Republicans and Democrats. Majority Leader Thun indicated that they are working on a short-term funding bill to keep the government open until the end of January, allowing more time for negotiations. The Senate has scheduled a rare Sunday session to address the crisis, which has left hundreds of thousands of government employees either furloughed or working without pay.
Dip in US-Bound Passengers from Germany
The travel chaos comes as new figures show a slight decline in passengers flying from Germany to the U.S. According to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden, the number of passengers heading to a U.S. destination from January to September dropped by 1.3%, or about 67,200 people, compared to the same period last year.
America Remains Top Destination
Despite this dip, the United States remains, by a massive margin, the most popular non-European destination for travelers from Germany. Roughly five million people flew from German airports to the U.S. in the first nine months of the year. This far outpaces the second-place destination, Egypt, which saw 1.6 million passengers. Interestingly, while U.S.-bound travel slowed, passenger numbers to other non-European destinations actually rose by 4.3%.
Fewer American Tourists Visiting Germany
The statistical office also reported a drop in tourism flowing in the other direction. Germany registered 1.96 million arrivals from U.S. tourists between January and August, a 3.2% decrease from the previous year’s 2.02 million. The decline was particularly steep during the peak summer months, falling 9.1% in June and 10.2% in July. This is in sharp contrast to Germany’s overall tourism numbers, which saw a 0.7% increase in domestic and foreign guests during the same period.
Migration Trends Reverse
A significant shift is also evident in migration patterns. Far fewer people moved from Germany to the U.S. this year, with 17,100 relocations reported from January to September. That’s an 18% drop from the 20,800 recorded last year and the lowest number since 2021. At the same time, immigration from the U.S. to Germany ticked up by 3.4%, to just over 19,300 people. Statisticians noted this marks the first time since 2021 that more people have moved from the U.S. to Germany than vice versa during the first nine months of the year. These trends are developing as President Donald Trump’s second term, which began on January 20, 2025, continues.