Washington: The U.S. aviation system experienced unprecedented disruption on Sunday as more than 10,000 flights were delayed and over 2,700 cancelled, marking the worst single-day impact since the onset of the 2025 federal government shutdown. The crisis has underscored the fragility of air travel infrastructure when staffing shortages collide with essential operations.

Major U.S. airlines reported staggering numbers of delays and cancellations. Some carriers indicated that over 50% of flights were affected, creating chaos across hubs from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles. The delays have been so extensive that passengers found themselves stranded for hours, with airport lounges overflowing and flights rescheduled multiple times.

The disruption is largely attributed to a shortage of

See Full Page