More than 1,100 flights canceled Sunday amid nationwide air travel disruption

In the midst of the longest government shutdown in American history, nationwide flight disruptions continued into Sunday, with thousands of flights either canceled or delayed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed restrictions on capacity at 40 major U.S. airports, leading to staffing issues in air traffic controller towers and centers.

According to the FlightAware website, as of 5:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, more than 1,100 flights had been canceled across the country. This followed a staggering 1,521 cancellations on Saturday, along with over 6,400 delayed flights. The situation was exacerbated by over 40 air traffic control staffing triggers at facilities nationwide, indicating that major disruptions were likely to persist through Sunday.

Despite the chaos, the FAA made the decision not to cut any international flights, citing concerns over violating international agreements with other countries. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reiterated this stance in an interview on ABC News Live, underscoring the complexities of managing air traffic during a government shutdown.

The ongoing flight disruptions have caused widespread inconvenience for travelers and highlighted the strain that the shutdown has placed on essential services. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how long it will take for air travel to return to normalcy.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway, Jon Haworth, and Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this report.