Published On 4/11/2025
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Last update: 01:56 (Mecca time)
The US Aviation Administration announced on Monday the cessation of air traffic at Houston International Airport in Texas due to a shortage of employees, amid the government closure continuing for the 34th day.
American navigation sources said that more than 3 million passengers were affected by flight cancellations or delays due to the lack of air traffic controllers.
In this context, the Texas Tribune newspaper said that the state’s main airports are witnessing significant flight delays, as travelers wait for hours due to a lack of air traffic controllers and security personnel.
Flights were delayed at US airports on Sunday due to a shortage in the number of air traffic controllers.
Before announcing the suspension of flights at Houston International Airport, American navigation sources reported that 3.2 million passengers were affected by the cancellation and delay of flights due to the lack of air traffic controllers since the start of the closure.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said earlier Monday that 84% of flights were delayed during the past hours, and warned that if the government shutdown did not end immediately, air traffic controllers would not receive their salaries.
Duffy added that the US administration may decide to close the airspace completely if it believes that there is a greater risk of canceling or delaying flights to travelers.
Movement at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C., was affected as the government closure continued. Al-Jazeera correspondent Nasser Al-Husseini monitors the scene#News pic.twitter.com/tTbEH11uyu
– Al Jazeera Channel (@AJArabic) November 3, 2025
The government shutdown forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officials to work without pay.
The government shutdown in the United States is close to being the longest ever as it enters its sixth week, amid continuing partisan and political disagreements over government financing and spending priorities.
US President Donald Trump said at dawn on Sunday that he was ready to sit with the Democrats to reform the health care system, but after ending the government shutdown.
Trump added that he would not accept blackmail from Democrats, and added that the government shutdown would end, without specifying a time frame for that.