Charlotte airport misery grows: Nearly 2,000 flight delays during shutdown
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Charlotte airport logged about 1,850 flight delays and 19 cancellations.
- Shutdown since Oct. 1 forced FAA furloughs and triggered controller shortages.
- CLT urges passengers to arrive early and contact airlines for flight updates.
As the federal government shut-down drags on, so does the misery for passengers flying in to or out of Charlotte’s airport — flight delays here are approaching 2,000 since last week.
From Oct. 6 through mid-day Monday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport had more than 1,860 flight delays and 19 cancellations, according to FlightAware, which provides real-time online flight information. The shutdown has disrupted airport operations nationwide due to shortages of air traffic controllers.
By 5:30 p.m. Monday, 178 flights had been delayed at CLT.
The shutdown started on Oct. 1, and led to a shortage of controllers. That led to ongoing delays at major airports serving large regions such as Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York, according to multiple news reports.
Charlotte airport officials said they are not anticipating any immediate impact to its operations, according to an Oct. 9, statement to The Charlotte Observer. The airport said it did not have information for comparison of delayed or canceled flights from before the shutdown.
Sections of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees the Federal Aviation Administration, are closed or have employees on furlough because of a funding lapse. When reached by the Observer, FAA public affairs officials said they are out of the office as a result of the shutdown and will have limited ability to respond.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it does not support federal employees who participate in or promote activities that harm the airspace system or the reputation of air traffic workers, according to a message on the union’s website.
NATCA represents about 20,000 U.S. air traffic controllers and aviation safety experts. The union is based in Washington, D.C., and is part of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
CLT airport issues guidance for passengers
CLT officials are continuing to monitor the situation and communicate with federal partners.
The airport urges passengers to be inside the terminals two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Passengers should contact their airline directly for flight updates.
Charlotte Douglas is the sixth-busiest airport in the world for takeoffs and landings. American Airlines is the dominant carrier at CLT, accounting for about 90% of the traffic.
The airline did not provide comments about the ongoing delays.
Impacted by CLT delays?
Have you experienced flight delays at CLT due to the government shutdown? We want to hear from you. Please share your story by emailing cjordan@charlotteobserver.com
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM.
