CLT airport hit with nearly 8,000 delays, 600 canceled flights during fed shutdown
The 43-day government shutdown that had snarled air travel nationwide ended Wednesday night, but delays continue to bedevil passengers at Charlotte’s airport.
On Thursday, through early evening, CLT had 89 delays and 49 cancellations. Since Oct. 1, there have been over 7,800 flight delays and more than 630 canceled flights, according to a Charlotte Observer review of FlightAware data, a website providing real-time flight information.
On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill passed by Congress in the wake of the shutdown that began Oct. 1, with Democrats and Republicans disagreeing about how to allocate money for federal agencies. This led to cascading problems, such as a shortage of air traffic controllers, who were required to work without pay.
As federal workers move to restore normal operations, airports and flight providers such as American Airlines are also working to get back on track. The airline is the largest provider of flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, with a 90% market share.
“Despite difficult circumstances, American employees continue to step up and take care of our customers throughout the shutdown-related travel disruptions,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom in a Wednesday travel alert update.
“I am proud of how our team responded and remain truly grateful for the federal aviation workers who faced challenging conditions for weeks without pay, all to get our customers where they needed to go safely,” Isom said.
Oct. 28, marked the first zero-dollar paycheck for air traffic controllers. At CLT, local members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association handed out leaflets about the shutdown’s impact on workers’ lives.
Facing serious air traffic controller absences this month, the government ordered flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports, including CLT.
That began Nov. 7 with reductions of 4%, with further increases ordered in the following days, up to 10%, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Charlotte’s airport has an estimated 1,800 daily arrivals and departures, according to its website. Under the FAA orders, that would mean a reduction of approximately 180 flights for a 10% cut.
From Nov. 7 through Wednesday, Charlotte Douglas had 472 cancellations, on top of 1,849 delays, according to FlightAware. It could take up to a week for air travel to return to normal operations after the government shutdown ends, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Flight delays continue to pile up
Charlotte Douglas is the world’s sixth-busiest airport. And its passengers saw delays and canceled flights continue to rise.
For the month of November through 5:30 p.m. Thursday, CLT saw more than 3,065 delays and over 547 cancellations. In October, Charlotte Douglas had more than 5,000 delays and over 80 cancellations.
On Thursday evening, CLT took to social media to thank federal workers who were not paid during the shutdown: “CLT extends heartfelt gratitude to our TSA, FAA, and airline partners for their dedication and professionalism through the government shutdown.”
As operations return to normal, CLT said some delays may continue.
As always, officials encouraged passengers to check flight status with their airline before coming to the airport and to arrive early — two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 5:15 AM with the headline "CLT airport hit with nearly 8,000 delays, 600 canceled flights during fed shutdown."
