Travelers across the United States are in for a fright this Halloween, as thousands of flights are expected to be delayed due to severe weather and staffing shortages resulting from the government shutdown.

At least 787 flights have been delayed, and 242 canceled as of 9am ET, according to FlightAware.

On Thursday, 7,250 flights were delayed and 1,249 were canceled across the country.

Thousands of passengers were left stranded in Orlando last night after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced there would be 'no certified controllers for a period of time', which would 'prevent landings' at Orlando Airport, the closest major airport to both Disney World and Universal Studios.

Staffing shortages have been growing since the government shutdown began on October 1. More than 13,000 air traffic controllers have been required to work without pay.

At least 787 flights have been delayed, and 242 canceled as of 9am ET, according to FlightAware.

The FAA has already noted arrival delays at Ronald Reagan Washington National of up to 30 minutes and departure delays at Newark International of 15 minutes.

The agency has also noted that several ground stop/delay programs are possible today at airports across the East Coast and California due to weather and staffing shortages.

On Thursday, 7,250 flights were delayed and 1,249 were canceled nationwide.

Airports in Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington, DC were particularly hard hit on Thursday due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.