Hundreds of US flights were canceled after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary reduction in air traffic at the nation’s 40 largest airports, citing a shortage of air traffic controllers amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that more than 790 flights scheduled for Friday were removed from airline schedules, roughly four times the number canceled on Thursday. Nearly 500 cancellations were recorded for Saturday at the time of reporting.
The FAA issued the order on Thursday after an increase in controller absences during the record-breaking shutdown. The agency said controllers have been working without pay, leading to rising reports of strain from both pilots and controllers and a spike in delays — including 2,740 delays over a recent weekend.
Officials described the measure as a safety-driven, proactive step. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the decision was about reducing risk in the system while controllers continue to work without pay, and stressed that it was intended to preserve safe operations.
The FAA’s phased restrictions call for a 4 percent reduction in traffic on the immediate Friday and will scale to a 10 percent cut by November 14. The order covers domestic operations at the largest hubs; airlines may choose whether to cut international flights.
Major airports affected include Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare and New York JFK. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford warned the agency could take further actions if conditions warrant.
The move adds pressure to lawmakers as the shutdown, by then in its 38th day, continued. Senate Democrats were blocking a government spending bill over healthcare provisions, prolonging the impasse.
The FAA employed just over 14,000 air traffic controllers in fiscal 2024. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, about 730,000 federal ‘‘essential’’ workers have been working without pay during the shutdown while roughly 670,000 employees have been furloughed.
