Transportation

Southwest Warns Workers About Delays Amid US Government Shutdown

A Southwest Airlines airplane at Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) in 2024. — A Southwest Airlines airplane at Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) in 2024.
Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg

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By Mary Schlangenstein and Lucia Kassai

October 9, 2025 at 10:27 PM UTC

Southwest Airlines Co. warned employees about potential operational delays at airports from a shortage of air traffic controllers as the US government shutdown drags on.

The situation is “dynamic and could change rapidly” at any air traffic control facility, according to a message to workers from Southwest operations executives shared by the company on Thursday.