1,600 flights canceled in US on Monday as President Trump tells air traffic controllers: ‘Get back to work, NOW’

(NEW YORK) — More than 1,600 flights have been canceled across the U.S. on Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration limits capacity at 40 major U.S. airports, with President Donald Trump threatening air traffic controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!”

“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,'” Trump said in a social media post on Monday.

In addition to the 1,656 flights canceled on Monday, there were also 2,548 delays for flights within, into or out of the United States, according to airline traffic tracker FlightAware.

Trump also claimed he was recommending a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers who did not take any time off during the government shutdown, though he did not explain specifics on how that would be done.

“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” Trump said.

ATC Union President Nick Daniels responded to Trump’s post during a press conference, saying controllers deserve to be paid and the union will work through the issues with the administration. 

“I’ll take anything that recognizes these hard-working men and women, but we’ll work with the administration on any issues that are out there,” Daniels said. “Air traffic controllers have continued to show up during this shutdown. They’ve endured a longest shutdown in American history, and every single day, they absolutely, not only deserve their pay, they deserve to be recognized for what’s going on.”

He added, “Again, air traffic controllers should not be the political pawn during a government shutdown.”

The travel chaos, which comes amid a record-long shutdown of the federal government, was expected to continue into Tuesday, according to the tracker. At least 939 flights planned for Tuesday have already been canceled, FlightAware said.

The FAA’s limiting capacity does not impact international flights as it would be a violation of international agreements with the countries, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an interview on ABC News Live on Friday.

There were 2,953 flight cancellations on Sunday, one of the worst days in recent U.S. history. Through 4 p.m., it had the 11th-most cancellations of any day since Jan. 1, 2024, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.

There are air traffic controller shortages across much of the country, necessitating the cutbacks on flights, according to Duffy. Air traffic controllers, who are not being paid during the shutdown, are faced with tough decisions.

“We took an oath to protect the flying public … and without any money, it’s almost impossible,” Chris Brown, executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 10-40, which represents 1,600 Transportation Safety Administration employees in North Texas, told ABC News Live on Sunday. “If they can’t pay for day care and they don’t have any extra resources, then there’s no way for them to come to work. They can’t leave their kids at home alone.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.