Beginning in late October lasting through mid-November of this year, the most recent government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history, taking place from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12. Essential staff were unpaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were limited and many other services were either restricted or cut off during the shutdown period.
The shutdown began due to disagreements between congressional lawmakers and the White House over federal spending levels and the extension of healthcare subsidies.
One of the most notable examples of affected areas is in the aviation industry. Aviation staff went unpaid for the shutdown period, causing airlines and airports to struggle with passenger demand. This led to the cancellation of more than 2,700 flights in a single day, and with delays numbering in the thousands.
During the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered flight cuts at some of the U.S.’ biggest airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.
The ordered flight cut initially demanded that four percent of all flights were to be reduced. As the government shutdown progressed, this amount increased to 10%.
Despite the government shutdown formally ending on Nov. 12, the aviation system continues to remain under immense pressure and strain. This strain is worsened by the existing shortage of air traffic control workers in the industry, who have had to work even longer hours during the shutdown.
Due to the government shutdown happening near the holidays, UCI international students’ holiday plans are impacted.
“I’d say it’s a major inconvenience to them for sure. We definitely do get calls with people coming in, like really stressed out about it. But yeah, it’s a tough situation because a lot of it is like just out of their hands, out of our hands, like things like that,” third-year international studies student Juliana Chamsi told New University.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other federal employees did not work or worked without compensation, resulting in up to 15 to 20 employees resigning every day. If the shutdown persisted, the employment rates in this field could have evolved into a much larger issue, with additional flight cuts potentially rising up to 20% and more TSA and federal employees resigning every day according to . This would have caused massive disruptions during the Thanksgiving season for thousands of Americans.
The possibility of a potential disruption was narrowly avoided with the signing of legislation ending the shutdown by President Donald Trump on Nov. 12. The legislation passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 222-209 and extended government funding through Jan. 30.
The airline industry suffered losses during the shutdown that may take weeks to recover from. TSA workers expressed concern with pay and workload changes following the shutdown, and some FAA employees retired during the shutdown, which may cause flight delays to continue.
Konstantin Diatlov is a Features Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. He can be reached at kdiatlov@uci.edu.
Edited by Alyssa Villagonzalo and Annabelle Aguirre.