Government Shutdown Grounds Flights as Greyhound and FlixBus Step In Amid Historic Travel Chaos

When air traffic controllers stopped showing up for work—not because of weather, not because of mechanical failure, but because they hadn’t been paid in over a month—travelers across the U.S. woke up to a new kind of chaos. On Monday, November 10, 2025, more than 2,400 flights were canceled and nearly 10,000 delayed, all because of a government shutdown now in its 35th day—the longest in American history. As the FAA enforced a mandatory 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, passengers turned to the one mode of transportation that never shut down: the bus. Greyhound Lines Inc. and FlixBus North America reported a 215% surge in bookings over the weekend, with routes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Chicago and San Francisco International Airport to Los Angeles filling up weeks in advance. This isn’t just inconvenience. It’s a systemic collapse—and the people on the ground are finding their own way forward.

When the Sky Stopped Moving

The FAA’s order, announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on November 5, 2025, wasn’t a suggestion. It was a mandate: cut capacity by 10% at the nation’s busiest hubs by November 14. The reasoning? Air traffic controllers were vanishing. On Saturday, November 9, only four of 22 controllers showed up at Atlanta’s airport. Eighty-one nationwide didn’t report for duty. Some were sick. Others were simply too overwhelmed to risk their safety—or their families’ survival—on an empty paycheck.

"They’re worried about how to pay their bills in addition to worrying about keeping flights safe," Duffy admitted during a CNN interview. And that’s the brutal truth. These aren’t bureaucrats in suits. They’re the people who guide 30,000 flights a day through U.S. skies. Without them, planes can’t take off. Can’t land. Can’t even safely taxi.

FlightAware data paints a grim picture: 1,025 cancellations on Friday, November 7; 1,566 on Saturday; a staggering 2,953 on Sunday. By Monday, the total reached 5,500 canceled flights—and over 9,500 delays. American Airlines alone canceled 1,200 flights in 72 hours. "This is simply unacceptable," said David Seymour, COO of American Airlines, in a memo to employees. "Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid. And our customers deserve predictability. We’re not asking for a miracle. We’re asking for a paycheck."

The Bus Revolution

While airlines scrambled to rebook passengers on increasingly sparse flights, FlixBus North America and Greyhound Lines Inc. did something quietly revolutionary: they expanded. FlixBus added 47 new routes, including overnight services from Philadelphia to Denver and Seattle to Portland. Greyhound extended operating hours at 32 major terminals and added 150 extra buses to high-demand corridors.

"This isn’t a backup plan," said Kai Boysan, CEO of FlixBus North America, in a November 2025 interview with FOX. "It’s the new reality. When planes stop flying, people still need to move. And buses? They don’t need federal funding. They don’t need congressional approval. They just need drivers—and we’ve got them."

For many, the shift was emotional. Maria Chen, a nurse from San Diego traveling to Chicago for her mother’s surgery, spent 14 hours on a Greyhound bus instead of a 3-hour flight. "I cried when I saw the bus station," she said. "But I also felt something else: gratitude. Someone was still showing up."

The Economic Cost of Silence

The ripple effects are no longer theoretical. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on November 5 that economic growth for the fourth quarter could be slashed in half—potentially dropping from a projected 2.8% to just 1.4%. Cargo shipments slowed. Hotel bookings collapsed in major transit hubs. Restaurants near airports reported 60% fewer customers. Small businesses that rely on business travelers—conference planners, rental car agencies, even airport gift shops—are facing bankruptcy.

"We had a fantastic economy under President Trump the past two quarters," Bessent said. "And now? We’re watching it stall—not because of markets, not because of inflation. Because of a political gridlock that’s turning airports into ghost towns."

What Happens Next?

As of November 11, 2025, the Senate was reportedly preparing a bill to end the shutdown. But with the FAA’s 10% flight reduction still in effect until November 14—and no guarantee of immediate pay for controllers—the damage is already done. Airlines say they won’t return to normal until controllers are paid and morale is restored. That could take weeks. Meanwhile, Greyhound and FlixBus are already planning for the holidays: more buses, more routes, more overnight options. The message is clear: when the system fails, the people adapt.

And maybe that’s the real story here. It’s not just about politics. It’s about what happens when the invisible infrastructure holding our lives together—air traffic control, border security, food inspections—suddenly vanishes. We don’t notice it until it’s gone. Then we find another way. Even if it’s on a bus.