Delta Air Lines Says 'Flights Are Running Normally' With the Government Shutdown Behind Us
- Delta Air Lines is informing passengers that flights are back on schedule after the end of the longest government shutdown in history.
With the longest government shutdown in history now behind us, Delta Air Lines is letting fliers know that flights are finally back on schedule.
The government shutdown—which furloughed federal employees and left many more, including essential air traffic controllers, working without pay for 43 days—forced airlines like Delta to cut flight capacity by up to 10 percent. The Federal Aviation Administration's emergency order was put in place to maintain safety measures, but the reductions significantly impacted major U.S. airports and thousands of fliers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned for weeks of the real repercussions that the shutdown could have on the industry, even after the House of Representatives' decision. But Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian stated earlier this week that he'd hoped air travel would be back to normal soon.
Related: Delta Air Lines CEO Makes Statement on When Fliers Can Expect Shutdown Delays to Stop
Today, Delta took to social media to share that flights are up and running "normally" again.
"With the shutdown behind us, flights are running normally—and our Delta people are here and ready to safely deliver the elevated experience you count on as we head into the holidays," Delta shared in the Instagram post .
The airline was already seeing a significant return to on-time performance by November 13. And fliers have been taking note. Travelers are responding to Delta's news, thanking the airline for "the best customer service ever" during difficult times.
"I had four flights during the shutdown," one Instagram user wrote. "The entire flight crew and Delta operations team were top-notch. Pilots did a great job keeping us informed when there were any potential delays while on the ground or in the air. Delta proved once again why it's the best airline during this challenging period."
Others agreed, even thanking specific gate agents for their help.
"Shout out to Susan, the gate agent in LGA!" one wrote.
Nonetheless, many airlines are going to be inevitably backlogged as they serve the thousands of fliers across the country who've had cancellations over the last few weeks. For fliers who are still apprehensive about traveling as airlines start to stabilize their schedules, planning ahead is critical.
Anyone traveling with Delta can use the Fly Delta app to find real-time updates about their upcoming flights.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
