Travel Hurdles to Hit Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix as US Government Shutdown Enters Fourth Week.
The ongoing U.S. government shutdown is wreaking havoc on air travel, with flights canceled and delayed at 40 airports nationwide. The crisis has its eyes set on the upcoming Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix next week, potentially denting attendance figures.
With the Senate having passed a continuing resolution to reopen the government, the House must now give its stamp of approval before the measure reaches President Trump's desk for signing. However, it's unlikely that travel disruptions will be completely eradicated even if funding flows once more.
According to Airlines for America, staffing shortages have resulted in 5.2 million airline passengers facing flight cancellations and delays since October 1st. An analysis of FAA data reveals a sharp increase in National Airspace System (NAS) delay minutes from November 7th-9th - with controller staffing issues contributing to 61% of the disruptions. This is up significantly from earlier periods, indicating that travel chaos may persist for some time.
Airlines' President and CEO, Tom Neely, expressed concerns, stating that "it's going to take a while" for airlines to recover fully from these staffing shortages. The upcoming Thanksgiving travel period and shipping season will further exacerbate the issue, underscoring the need for immediate action.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas residents are already experiencing firsthand the impact of travel disruptions. At Harry Reid airport, 65 flights were canceled and 424 delayed as of Monday afternoon - with Southwest Airlines bearing the brunt of these cancellations and delays. The Elera Hotel, which is set to host luxury suites at a whopping $3,000 per room for the F1 weekend, has sold out all its rooms.
Despite the mounting challenges, fans who have already made travel arrangements may still find it worth pushing through with their plans. Mark Wang, CEO of Hilton Grand Vacation, noted that "there's strong demand" for this year's F1 event, ensuring that organizers can expect a sizable crowd despite the on-going government crisis.
The ongoing U.S. government shutdown is wreaking havoc on air travel, with flights canceled and delayed at 40 airports nationwide. The crisis has its eyes set on the upcoming Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix next week, potentially denting attendance figures.
With the Senate having passed a continuing resolution to reopen the government, the House must now give its stamp of approval before the measure reaches President Trump's desk for signing. However, it's unlikely that travel disruptions will be completely eradicated even if funding flows once more.
According to Airlines for America, staffing shortages have resulted in 5.2 million airline passengers facing flight cancellations and delays since October 1st. An analysis of FAA data reveals a sharp increase in National Airspace System (NAS) delay minutes from November 7th-9th - with controller staffing issues contributing to 61% of the disruptions. This is up significantly from earlier periods, indicating that travel chaos may persist for some time.
Airlines' President and CEO, Tom Neely, expressed concerns, stating that "it's going to take a while" for airlines to recover fully from these staffing shortages. The upcoming Thanksgiving travel period and shipping season will further exacerbate the issue, underscoring the need for immediate action.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas residents are already experiencing firsthand the impact of travel disruptions. At Harry Reid airport, 65 flights were canceled and 424 delayed as of Monday afternoon - with Southwest Airlines bearing the brunt of these cancellations and delays. The Elera Hotel, which is set to host luxury suites at a whopping $3,000 per room for the F1 weekend, has sold out all its rooms.
Despite the mounting challenges, fans who have already made travel arrangements may still find it worth pushing through with their plans. Mark Wang, CEO of Hilton Grand Vacation, noted that "there's strong demand" for this year's F1 event, ensuring that organizers can expect a sizable crowd despite the on-going government crisis.
Man, have you guys ever tried to travel in Vegas? It's like a whole different world right now 
. This government shutdown is super frustrating, especially with F1 coming up. I was thinking of taking my friends to watch Lewis Hamilton, but now I'm not so sure 
. The news says that Harry Reid airport is already feeling the hit, and 65 flights canceled? That's crazy! 
And if you're planning on staying at the Elera Hotel, forget about it - they're all booked up! 
It's like they knew this was gonna happen. Anyway, I guess some people might still make it to the F1 event, but for me, I'm good 
. Maybe next year will be better 
.
[Image of a frustrated airplane passenger with a canceled flight] 
Air travel chaos is REAL 
5.2 million flights delayed or canceled since October 1st... what's next? 
65 canceled, 424 delayed at Harry Reid airport... and the hotels are sold out 
$3,000 for a room 
or shipping season 
️. But at the same time, if fans have already booked their trips, they're probably gonna make it happen no matter what 
.
Still not sure why they're relying on foreign staff to work at airports 
! 40 airports with cancelled & delayed flights?!? 
! $3k a night for rooms at the Elera hotel tho??!? who can afford that $$$
And $3k per room at the Elera Hotel? No thanks, back in my day we could find a decent hotel for under $100 a night 
The US government shutdown is literally killing my travel vibes 
. Can you believe flights are getting canceled and delayed left and right? 
. And now, our beloved Formula 1 fans are gonna be stuck in traffic at McCarran Airport 
. I feel bad for all those fans who've already booked their rooms at the Elera Hotel, like Mark Wang said, there's still strong demand 
.
, so flights can get back on track and fans can enjoy the F1 weekend without too much stress 
! The Elera Hotel is literally sold out of rooms at $3k per night – talk about F1 fever 
!
airlines are having to cancel flights left & right and passengers are stuck waiting for their plans to be fixed. And now with the F1 Grand Prix coming up, who knows if people will even bother showing up? 
, what's the point of having a grand prix if there's no one there to see it? 
The whole thing is gonna be cancelled anyway and we're all just wasting our time booking flights and hotels for nothing 
F1 las vegas grand prix is still goin down tho and i'm hyped 
This is soooo frustrating! The US govt shutdown is affecting the most innocent people - travelers 
. The economy needs it right now