Air traffic controllers at large airports across the United States didn’t get paid this week (Oct. 27, 2025) because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, raising concerns that frequency of flight delays could climb as increasingly stressed-out controllers call in sick to work.
At the Pierre Regional Airport, City Commissioner Jamie Huizenga says so far there have been no disruptions in the two areas where federal employees are involved– air traffic control and Transportation Security Administration screening.
The Associated Press reports that recent absences have led to a number of isolated delays around the country because the Federal Aviation Administration was already extremely short on controllers prior to the shutdown. In order to ensure safety, the FAA restricts the number of flights landing and taking off at an airport anytime there is a shortage of controllers.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association Nick Daniels continue to emphasize the pressure that controllers are feeling. They say the problems are likely to get worse the longer the shutdown continues.
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