Washington: Airports across the United States are facing escalating disruption as the federal government shutdown passes the one-month mark, with staff shortages leading to widespread flight delays and lengthy security queues.

The weekend brought some of the most severe travel chaos since the shutdown began, with more than 5,000 flights to and from US airports delayed on Sunday alone.

On Monday, the White House blamed Democrats for the travel turmoil, claiming that “Americans are paying the price for Democrats' sick political games." "Democrats have ushered in a full-scale disaster disrupting millions of air travellers' lives,” the statement said.

With no resolution in sight, transportation officials have warned of further delays and cancellations. Air traffic controllers, classified as essential workers, are continuing to work without pay.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the financial strain on these employees is mounting. “None of them can miss two paychecks,” Duffy told CNBC on Monday. “Their home finances fall apart, and they’re all going to have to look at taking second jobs or quitting for other work.”

He added that the national airspace system is already short by 2,000 to 3,000 controllers.

By Monday afternoon, over 2,530 flights had been delayed and more than 60 had been cancelled, according to FlightAware data.

The worst disruption was reported at major hubs, including Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, John F Kennedy International, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airports, together accounting for over 800 delays and more than 30 cancellations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long struggled to recruit and retain enough controllers, and staffing-related delays were reported even before the shutdown began.

The impact has also spread to airport security operations. Houston Airports warned that wait times could exceed three hours at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and more than an hour at William P. Hobby Airport. Similar alerts have been issued for airports in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington D.C., and other major cities.

Republicans have accused Democrats of demanding healthcare subsidies for undocumented immigrants, a claim Democrats have dismissed as misinformation spread by the Trump administration.

Democrats say they are seeking to reverse healthcare cuts for American citizens included in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” passed earlier this year.

IANS