UAE-US travel: What you need to know as government shutdown extends to second week

Dubai: The US government shutdown is now in its second week, and if you're planning to travel there, prepare for longer waits and potential flight disruptions.

What started as a partisan budget standoff in Washington is now hitting airports hard—and travellers are feeling it.

Which airports are affected?

The disruption isn't equal across the board, and if you're connecting through major US hubs from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, here's what you need to know. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport—a key connection point for Emirates and other Gulf carriers—saw warnings about insufficient air traffic controllers in the tower.

In Nashville, so many controllers stayed home that the facility closed. Hollywood Burbank Airport experienced average delays of 2.5 hours after no air traffic controllers reported for duty on Monday evening.

At O'Hare, more than 250 flight delays were reported by midday, while delays at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reached around 30 minutes late Tuesday afternoon. The silver lining? Despite the traffic snags, about 92 per cent of the more than 23,600 flights departing from US airports took off on time as of Tuesday afternoon.

What travellers need to know

Here's the reality: air traffic controllers and TSA agents are classified as "essential workers," which means they're still working—just without pay. That's leading to what officials are calling "a slight tick-up in sick calls", which is government-speak for "people are staying home."

If you're flying Emirates or Etihad to the US, or connecting through major hubs like O'Hare, JFK, or Dallas, build in extra time—lots of it. This is especially important if you have tight connections to onward domestic flights.

“It is safe to fly, but ATC staffing shortages strain the system and cause flights to be spaced out, slowing down everything. In some cases, flights may be delayed or even cancelled,” said Airlines for America, whose members include Delta Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and others.

Check your flight status obsessively. Download your airline's app. Maybe pack some snacks. And if your flight does get delayed or cancelled, remember that standard airline policies apply—the shutdown doesn't change your rights as a passenger.

The FAA has warned that conditions could worsen the longer this drags on. After more than a week of the government shutdown, scenarios of air traffic control shortages are unfolding across multiple airports.

Why is this happening?

The shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, with disagreements over Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies contributing to the impasse.

As of Sunday, Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse over a spending plan, with the shutdown entering its 12th day.

Bottom line: US travel isn't grinding to a halt, but it's definitely grinding. If you can be flexible with your travel dates or routes, now is the time to exercise that flexibility.