Imagine stepping onto a plane amid a government shutdown, heart racing as you wonder if the skies are still safe—it's a fear that's gripping travelers right now, but what do the real experts say?
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Megan Cerullo
Senior Reporter, Finance Insights
Megan Cerullo is a journalist based in New York, specializing in stories about small businesses, workplace dynamics, health care access, consumer habits, and everyday money management for CBS Finance Insights. She frequently shares her expertise on live news segments to break down complex financial topics for viewers.
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October 14, 2025 / 4:17 PM EDT / CBS Finance Insights
With fewer air traffic controllers on duty at various U.S. airports due to the ongoing federal government shutdown—check out the latest updates here (https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-2025-latest-house-senate-trump/)—many passengers are left anxious about potential risks before takeoff. For those new to this, air traffic controllers are the pros who guide planes safely through the skies, directing takeoffs, landings, and routes to avoid collisions.
Since federal funding stopped flowing on October 1, we've seen a noticeable uptick in flight delays across certain regions (more details on those delays: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flight-delays-government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers/). This is happening even though essential workers like air traffic controllers, TSA screeners—who handle airport security checks—and other safety staff must keep showing up to their posts without a paycheck. Drawing from past shutdowns, like the one in 2019, there's often a surge in these workers calling in sick due to financial stress (for example, TSA sick calls jumped to 10% back then: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-sick-calls-hit-10-amid-government-shutdown-2019-01-21/), which snowballs into more delays and even canceled flights.
But here's the reassuring part that might ease your mind: top aviation specialists insist that flying is still as secure as ever. 'No one's cutting corners—FAA regulations, which are the strict rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration to keep flights safe, don't take a break just because Congress can't agree on a budget,' explained Henry Harteveldt, the founder and president of Atmosphere Research Group, a firm that advises on travel trends, in an interview with CBS Finance Insights. For beginners, think of the FAA as the watchdog ensuring every plane and procedure meets top safety standards, no exceptions.
These rising delays from FAA staffing shortages? They're actually a deliberate move to maintain the same high level of safety as before the shutdown kicked in, according to Katy Nastro, a travel pro at the booking platform Going.com. 'Travelers can take solace in knowing that air traffic is being intentionally paced slower, with ground holds implemented as an added safeguard—it's all precautionary, nothing to panic about,' she noted. 'This isn't a warning sign; it's just smart caution.'
And this is the part most people miss: while safety holds steady, the real challenge for flyers is personal—what's your own limit for dealing with hold-ups and disruptions? Nastro points out that question as key for anyone planning a trip.
Even with a handful of plane incidents this year, like taxiway bumps at LaGuardia (https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/laguardia-airport-delta-planes-collide-on-taxiway/) or near-misses such as the one involving a Delta flight and an Air Force jet near Reagan National (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/close-call-between-delta-flight-air-force-jet-near-reagan-national/), data paints a brighter picture. Flying commercially has gotten remarkably safer over time. A recent 2024 study from MIT revealed that the odds of a fatal accident in commercial flights worldwide were just 1 in 13.7 million passenger boardings between 2018 and 2022 (dive deeper into the research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969699724001066?dgcid=author#appsec2). That's a big improvement from the earlier period of 2008 to 2017, when it was 1 in 7.9 million—meaning fewer risks per trip, thanks to better tech, training, and oversight.
'We slow it down to keep you safe'
On Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tackled shutdown-related worries head-on during a Fox Business News appearance. 'Our priority is ensuring safe journeys, so if controller numbers dip below what's needed for full safety, we deliberately reduce the pace,' he stated (watch the clip: https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6382685025112). He also touched on how even a small number of absences can cascade through the system: 'A couple of controllers out sick creates a chain reaction across the skies, leading to backups because we're not operating with excess staff,' Duffy added. He sympathized with the controllers, calling them 'deeply frustrated' by the unpaid work amid the budget impasse.
Sheldon Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert in aviation security, agrees that these delay-causing shortages are more of a hassle than a hazard. 'Safety isn't taking a hit here, but the overall service quality certainly is,' he shared with CBS Finance Insights. To clarify for newcomers, this means planes aren't at greater risk of accidents; it's just that schedules are slipping, which can frustrate plans but not endanger lives.
But here's where it gets controversial: not everyone is fully on board with that optimism. Laura Einsetler, a seasoned airline captain flying for a major U.S. carrier, raises a valid concern about the long-term toll of an extended shutdown. 'How many weeks can these controllers push through without pay before worries about bills—rent, mortgages, or groceries for their kids—start clouding their focus?' she asked CBS Finance Insights. 'As financial pressures mount, distractions grow, and from a human performance angle, that could subtly heighten safety risks over time.' This perspective challenges the 'all is well' narrative, suggesting that while short-term fixes like slowing traffic help, prolonged unpaid work might erode even the most dedicated team's edge. What do you think—does financial stress in critical jobs like this deserve more urgent attention from lawmakers?
Counting on the flight crew
Scott Keyes, who founded Going.com, gets why some folks feel jittery about boarding a flight now. 'We're all a bit wired to fear being way up in the air at 30,000 feet, so it's natural to latch onto shutdown news as a reason things might feel riskier,' he said. Yet, he stresses a crucial safeguard: pilots hold the ultimate veto power on takeoff, whether it's due to bad weather, equipment glitches, or low staffing.
'Pilots are the final decision-makers, empowered to call it if conditions aren't right—they're always in touch with ground control, tracking weather patterns, and assessing the full picture of the flight path,' Keyes explained. For those unfamiliar, this means the person at the controls in the cockpit has the authority to scrub a flight if anything seems off, backed by constant updates from air traffic teams. 'Sure, delays and cancellations are more likely these days than pre-shutdown, but that doesn't bump up the chances of actual safety mishaps,' he concluded.
Harteveldt echoes this, noting that pilots—private airline employees, not government workers—won't budge if safety's in question. 'Once the plane leaves the gate, it's the pilot doing the final checks and green-lighting departure. Neither FAA oversight nor the shutdown alters that core step,' he affirmed.
Last week, Airlines for America, the trade association for big U.S. carriers, issued a statement to calm nerves: flying is secure, but tower staffing gaps are stretching operations thin, spacing out flights and slowing the works. 'It's safe up there, though shortages mean more spacing between planes, which can delay or nix some flights altogether,' they said. 'If you're airport-bound soon, bring extra patience—it's the best companion right now.'
Edited by Alain Sherter
So, as you mull over your next trip, does the government's budget drama make you rethink air travel, or do you trust the experts' assurances enough to book without worry? Share your thoughts in the comments below—do you side with the 'safety first, delays second' view, or worry that unpaid workers could tip the scales? Let's discuss!
