As lawmakers in Washington took their first step toward ending the government shutdown, travelers faced mass disruptions and chaos at airports across the country.
More than 23,000 flights were delayed or canceled this weekend — with nearly 9,000 more added to the mix on Monday — as air traffic control staffing issues came to a head at dozens of the nation's busiest airports.
Terminals filled with stranded passengers. Travelers whose planes did take off faced hourslong traffic jams on the taxiways at major hubs like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Countless others opted to stay home, book a backup flight on another airline — or hit the road for a long drive instead.
Meanwhile, an early-season winter storm making its way through the Midwest and Great Lakes region Monday could make matters even worse.
"I won’t mince words: This weekend’s operation was incredibly challenging," American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour wrote in a letter to employees Monday, after the carrier said disruptions affected 250,000 of its customers this weekend.
And, he warned, "The next several days will continue to be challenging."
Cancellations, delays top expectations
The air travel woes have gotten more severe by the day.
Going into the weekend, airlines had expected to shutter some 800 to 900 flights daily as a result of shutdown-related cuts ordered last week by the Federal Aviation Administration.
On Sunday alone, nearly 3,000 flights were canceled, according to data from FlightAware. Close to 11,000 additional flights faced delays.
TPG's Clint Henderson spent hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on Sunday after his American flight to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) was canceled — and was able to successfully clear standby on a backup flight, which also faced delays.
"I felt very, very lucky," Henderson said, noting that his flight departed right as snow was hitting Chicago. "I saw people sleeping at LaGuardia all over the place when I finally landed late Sunday night, almost five hours late."
The problems came as air traffic controllers faced yet another week of reporting to work without a paycheck — and as dozens of the FAA's key facilities reported so-called "staffing triggers" over the weekend.
With fewer employees to manage the tens of thousands of flights that take off and land each day, travelers ran into multi-hour backups at many of the largest hubs.
On Saturday, 18 of 22 air traffic controllers called off of work at ATL, the world's busiest airport and megahub for hometown carrier Delta Air Lines. Average ground delays, at one point, topped five and a half hours.
Delta passengers faced significant residual impacts on Sunday on Monday, when the airline canceled hundreds of flights beyond what it had planned entering the weekend in an effort to recover its operation.
As of noon EST Monday, Delta had canceled 495 flights across its mainline and regional Delta Connection network.
"Canceling a flight is always a last resort after all options have been exhausted," the Atlanta-based carrier said in a statement.
Cancellations, delays likely to persist
More disruptions were already piling up for Monday. By 1 p.m. EST, airlines had already canceled more than 2,100 flights, per FlightAware.
That included close to 20% of departures at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), where snow combined with shutdown fallout to complicate travel even further.
Beginning Tuesday, the FAA will increase the number of flights it's requiring airlines to cancel at 40 major airports to 6% — up from the 4% the agency was requiring heading into the weekend (although the air traffic control disruptions fueled many more cancellations than that).
Ten percent cuts would begin starting Friday.
Read more: Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do next
The only potential hope on the horizon when it comes to air travel: potential signs of momentum on Capitol Hill.
In a statement, a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers urged lawmakers to swiftly pass a stopgap measure to reopen the government.
"At a time of record air travel and increased reliance on cargo shipments, it is more important than ever to ensure that our nation’s airspace is safe, reliable and open," Airlines for America said.
What should you do if you’re flying?
TPG has complete coverage of the government shutdown’s impact on travelers.
- We’ve compiled our top tips for travelers flying in the midst of these mass cancellations.
- Here’s a rundown of the flexible travel waivers and refund policies major airlines have put in place.
- What about Thanksgiving? Some thoughts (and advice) as the busy holiday rush draws closer.
- Here's what TPG's Summer Hull did when her flight was canceled this week
