According to new Polymarket projections, the U.S. federal government shutdown could now extend through Thanksgiving and into December 1st, marking a 61-day stretch — almost double the previous record.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing a major staffing breakdown, with over 3,000 air-traffic controllers missing from the schedule. The situation is rapidly pressuring the entire U.S. aviation network.
🔍 What’s happening
The U.S. government has run out of active funding after Congress failed to approve a temporary spending bill.
As a result, non-essential departments are closed, and essential workers — including air-traffic controllers — are being forced to work without pay. Thousands of federal employees are either furloughed or unpaid, leading to deep disruption across multiple sectors.
✈️ Aviation in crisis
The FAA was already short 3,500 controllers before the shutdown began. Now, training and hiring have been completely frozen, intensifying the shortage.
Airports are reporting a spike in delays and cancellations — one recent day saw 22 shortage alerts, and over 8,000 U.S. flights were delayed in just 24 hours.
⚠️ A record-breaking shutdown in sight
If the standoff continues until December 1, this would mark the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, surpassing the 35-day shutdown of 2018–2019.
With no resolution in sight, essential agencies are operating under unsustainable strain, while public frustration continues to rise.