The Federal Aviation Administration’s unprecedented directive to reduce flights nationwide because of the ongoing government shutdown is scheduled to begin Friday morning.
The FAA identified 40 airports across more than two dozen states that will be affected. The list includes major hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte. In several metropolitan areas — including New York, Houston, Chicago and the Washington region — multiple airports are on the list. Smaller airports could feel ripple effects as well.
Airlines began adjusting schedules and canceling flights on Thursday in anticipation of the FAA order. FlightAware reported more than 780 cancellations nationwide. Delta said it would cancel about 170 flights on Friday, while American Airlines planned roughly 220 cancellations per day through Monday.
According to the FAA, reductions will start at about 4% and increase to 10% by Nov. 14. The limits apply to all commercial carriers and are scheduled to be in effect daily between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The agency says the measures are intended to ease strain on air traffic controllers, many of whom have been working without pay for more than a month, routinely putting in six-day work weeks and mandatory overtime. Increasing numbers of controllers have been calling out as financial stress and exhaustion grow.
‘You can’t expect people to go in to work when they’re not getting a paycheck,’ said Kelly Matthews of Flat Rock, Michigan, a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her upcoming trips. ‘I mean it’s not a matter of them not wanting to do the job — but you can’t afford to pay for gas, your day care and everything else.’
The FAA’s action comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on congressional Democrats to end the shutdown. Airlines say they will try to limit customer disruption, focusing reductions on routes serving small and mid-size cities where possible. Under Department of Transportation rules, carriers must refund customers when flights are canceled but are not required to cover secondary expenses such as food or hotels unless the airline is responsible for the disruption.
Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt warned the cuts will ‘have a noticeable impact across the U.S. air transportation system.’ The reductions may also slow package delivery: the list includes FedEx’s major hub in Memphis and UPS’s Louisville hub — the latter the site of this week’s deadly cargo plane crash.