FAA furloughs 10,552 employees as partial government shutdown takes effect.

• A shutdown plan released by the Department of Transportation on Thursday involves the furlough of over 10,000 Federal Aviation Administration workers.
• As per the plan 13,835 air traffic controllers will not get paid during the shutdown, which also follows an extensive shutdown from late last year that put a strain on the U.S. aviation system.
• The partial government shutdown is set to continue until at least Tuesday, with House Democrats not committing on providing the votes necessary to fast-track approval of a funding package for the government to reopen.

The Civil Aviation Watchdog - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has furloughed more than 10,000 employees during the partial government shutdown, as per an official release. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT), which oversees the FAA, projected last week in its shutdown plan that 10,552 workers would be affected beginning Saturday.

The lapse plan read as,

Total number of agency employees expected to be furloughed under the plan (unduplicated count): 10,552

Lapse Checklist

• Lapse plans are up-to-date and will be approved by the Administrator and senior staff prior to implementation.
• The Office of Human Resources has identified each position subject to a furlough, and preparations are in place to notify affected staff.
• Logistics are in place to provide for an orderly recall of employees and a return to normal operations once annual appropriations are restored.
• CFO/Budget Officer will take measures to ensure that all funding that is subject to an appropriations lapse is made unavailable for obligation and outlay in the financial system.

The furloughed workforce represents nearly a quarter of the agency’s workforce.

“Portions of DOT are affected by a lapse in appropriations. Website information may be outdated, transactions may be delayed, and inquiries may not be answered until funding is restored,” a message on the DOT’s website currently reads.

Brief summary of significant agency activities that will cease during a lapse:

• Aviation rulemaking;
•  Random drug testing of the non-safety workforce;
• Routine personnel security background investigations and PIV card services;
• Continuity of Operations Planning;  Air traffic performance analysis;
• Capital planning and implementation for FAA facilities and equipment programs that are not funded by IIJA;
•  Investment planning and financial analysis;
•  Dispute resolution;
•  Audit and evaluation;
•  Law enforcement assistance support;
•  Most administrative support functions not required for support of excepted positions; and
•  Delivery of routine public affairs services, website updates, and social media activities.

Government shutdown during 2025 affected the U.S. aviation to great extent, with over 4,500 flights being canceled for one weekend in mid-November. At one point, flights at 40 airports throughout the U.S. were reduced by 6% by the FAA.

Further to the shutdown, there have also been safety concerns about the U.S. aviation in the last year due to multiple notable incidents involving aircraft, including a fatal collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines CRJ-700 aircraft in January 2025. 

Many departments, including DOT, Defense, Homeland Security, State, Treasury and others, stopped large parts of their operations following Congress’s failure to approve funding by Saturday’s deadline. The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion package Friday evening, but the House was unable to return from recess to approve and send it to the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Republicans and Democrats on Thursday to “give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote," noting that another “long and damaging” shutdown could harm the country.

As per House Speaker Mike Johnson, he is confident the government would be fully open by Tuesday.

“Let’s say I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town,” he explained.

Its expected that the House will consider legislation this week to fund most departments for the rest of the year, although lawmakers in both chambers will continue negotiating appropriations for Homeland Security, which includes ICE.

The Lapse document read further,

"FAA employees will be advised to listen to public broadcasts for information that congressional action has been taken to fund the government, and they will be expected to return to work on their next regular duty day."

"In addition, FAA will place return to duty information on the FAA employee website and FAA’s toll-free number. FAA managers can also call employees to ensure staff members are aware they have been recalled to duty."