What is Operation Bald Eagle 2? Efforts launched to aid Tampa International Airport employees without pay as US government shutdown continues

As the US government shutdown entered its seventh day, staffing shortages continued to hamper flight services across America and led to more flight delays at airports on Tuesday (September 7, 2025). Amid the grim circumstances, union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners warned that the situation was likely to get worse.

Following the federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to news agency AP.

The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities. The FAA reported issues on Monday (September 6, 2025) at the airports in Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver.


John Tiliacos, the chief operating officer of Florida's Tampa International Airport, said the facility started preparing for the shutdown well before it began. The airport staff launched efforts to extend help to federal employees working without pay.

What is “Operation Bald Eagle 2”?

Nicknamed “Operation Bald Eagle 2” among Tampa International Airport staff, the efforts center around pulling together resources for the roughly 11,000 federal employees who are working at the airport without pay, including security screeners and air traffic controllers.

Tiliacos said the help would include a food pantry, free bus rides to work, and a program with the local utility provider to keep the lights on at the homes of the workers.

“Whatever we can do to make life a little easier for these federal employees that allows them to continue coming to work and focus on keeping our airport operational, that’s what we’re prepared to do,” he said, as quoted by AP.

Over 20,000 flights took off on time despite traffic snags

Despite the traffic snags, approximately 92% of the more than 23,600 flights departing from U.S. airports as of Tuesday afternoon took off on time, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, AP reported.

But the risk of wider impacts to the U.S. aviation system “is growing by the day" as federal workers whose jobs are deemed critical continue working without pay, travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely it is to affect holiday travel plans in November, he said. "I'm gravely concerned that if the government remains shut down then, that it could disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays," Harteveldt said in a statement, as quoted by AP.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that there has already been an uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick at a few locations. When there aren't enough controllers, the FAA must reduce the number of takeoffs and landings to maintain safety, which in turn causes flight delays and possible cancellations.