A U.S. aviation expert has warned that unpaid, exhausted air traffic controllers are posing flight safety risks amid staffing shortages, as the government shutdown enters its second month marked by widespread delays and cancellations. Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers across the U.S. have been forced to work without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, triggered by the Senate's failure to pass short-term funding bills. Due to the increasing number of staff taking leave, airports across the United States are experiencing major delays and cancellations. Flight tracking website data shows that more than 1,800 flights were delayed and over 500 flights were canceled from 00:00 to 15:00 local time on Monday. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were the most affected, with nearly 300 flights delayed and 16 flights canceled in the two places. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said that more than 3.2 million American air passengers have been affected. In October, 16 percent of flight delays were caused by staffing issues, higher than the usual 5 percent before the government shutdown. The association said that on Oct 31 alone, more than 300,000 passengers were affected, making it the most severely impacted day since the shutdown. Scott Hamilton, managing director of Leeham Company, an aviation consulting service provider, commented that this solution is "not sustainable" in an interview with China Global Television Network on Monday. Despite measures taken by the FAA to maintain safety standards, such as reducing the flow of air traffic in the U.S., the expert warned that aviation safety risks are emerging. He warned that in the long run, the impact could be more severe on the American society, as aviation employees face pressure from high living costs under the tightening economic policies of the U.S.. Shotlist: Washington D.C., USA - Nov 3, 2025: FILE: Miami, Florida, USA - Oct 1, 2025 1. Various of control tower, planes at airport; 2. Passengers with luggage walking; 3. Various of screen showing flight information; Washington D.C., USA - Nov 3, 2025 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Hamilton, Managing Director, Leeham Company (ending with shots 5-6): "Airports are delaying flights by hours, implementing ground stops. Los Angeles, Orlando, Newark have been some of the most affected airports. Now we're seeing passengers taking hours to get through security. This is not sustainable."; FILE: Miami, Florida, USA - Oct 1, 2025 5. Various of planes at airport; 6. Various of check-in counters, passengers; 7. Various of passengers having security check; Washington D.C., USA - Nov 3, 2025 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Hamilton, Managing Director, Leeham Company (ending with shots 9-10): "Taking Newark for example, it normally processes between 40 and 50 airplanes an hour at the airport. That has been cut down by the FAA to 20 airplanes an hour. But, quite frankly, controllers are exhausted. It's not beyond the possibility that there could be a fatal mistake that happens."; Chicago, Illinois, USA - Oct 8, 2025 9. Various of control tower; FILE: Miami, Florida, USA - Oct 1, 2025 10. Various of planes at airport; 11. Screen showing flight information; 12. Various of passengers; Washington D.C., USA - Nov 3, 2025 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Hamilton, Managing Director, Leeham Company (starting with shot 12/ending with shot 14): "They will get back pay. But in terms of meeting your bills today, some of the banks are working on being flexible on mortgages. But you still have to buy groceries, you have to buy gasoline, you have to pay for your heating. This is just something that the country is going to be hurt really badly, even more than it is if this continues through much more of time."; FILE: Miami, Florida, USA - Oct 1, 2025 14. Various of planes taxiing, landing, taking off at airport. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]