US Airlines Cancel Flights as FAA Orders Air Traffic Reductions Amid Government Shutdown

Starting Friday, flight operations at 40 major airports across the United States will be scaled back following a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aimed at maintaining safety amid an ongoing air traffic controller shortage caused by the federal government shutdown.

The Associated Press released a list of affected airports, which includes major hubs in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. According to regulators, these high-volume airports must cut traffic by 4% beginning at 6 a.m. ET on Friday, forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and triggering nationwide scheduling disruptions.

United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines began canceling flights Thursday evening in response to the FAA’s order. Delta announced plans to cancel 170 flights on Friday and a smaller number on Saturday, while Southwest said it would cut 120 flights. United confirmed it will reduce 4% of its flights from Friday through Sunday.

The FAA emphasized that these measures are essential to maintain air safety standards during what has become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, now stretching into its 37th day with no agreement between Republicans and Democrats.

Aviation analysts estimate that as many as 1,800 flights could be grounded this weekend, representing nearly 268,000 seats, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.

The cuts will affect more than two dozen states, including the nation’s busiest airports—Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Miami, Denver, Charlotte, San Francisco, and others. All three airports serving the Washington, D.C. area—Reagan National, Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International—will also be impacted, potentially disrupting travel for lawmakers and government staff.

United CEO Scott Kirby said the FAA’s priority is to ensure safety across the system.

“The goal is to relieve pressure on the aviation system so that we can all continue to operate safely. Safety is our top priority,” he said.

Kirby added that United will “continue making rolling schedule updates” to minimize inconvenience for travelers while providing advance notice of flight changes.

Delta Air Lines stated it would comply with the FAA directive and expects to operate “the vast majority” of flights as planned, including long-haul international services. The airline also said it would allow customers to change, cancel, or refund flights—including basic economy fares—without penalties.

According to ABC News, the flight reductions will start at 4% on Friday and could rise to 10%, primarily affecting flights between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The timing of these cuts—just two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, the busiest travel season of the year—has increased pressure on Congress to end the shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since October 1, are struggling to cope.

“Many controllers told us they could survive one missed paycheck, but not two,” Duffy said, warning that both parties in Congress share responsibility for the crisis.

American Airlines said most customers will not be affected and that long-haul international flights will continue as scheduled. The airline encouraged travelers to change or refund their tickets if needed and thanked federal employees still working without pay.

Currently, the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) manages more than 44,000 flights and 3 million passengers daily across 29 million square miles of airspace. However, due to the shutdown, the agency faces a shortage of roughly 3,000 controllers, with an additional 11,000 essential workers receiving no pay.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford described the situation as unprecedented:

“In my 35 years in aviation, I’ve never seen anything like this. We’re in new territory. Our only goal is to maintain safety across the airspace, even if it means reducing capacity in 40 major locations.”

Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, criticized the shutdown for damaging public confidence in the aviation system.

“This shutdown is forcing extremely difficult decisions that disrupt travel and erode trust in the U.S. air travel experience,” he said.

Aviation expert John Nance told ABC News that regulators are doing what they can to prevent safety risks.

“We’re on the edge of an airspace shutdown,” he said. “You can’t ignore the drop in safety margins. This is a very serious situation.”

Between Friday and Sunday, at least 39 air traffic control facilities have reported potential staffing shortages—far higher than the pre-shutdown weekend average of 8.3 facilities, according to an AP analysis.

The shutdown’s ripple effects extend beyond flight delays. It could also slow investigations into recent aviation accidents, including a UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville earlier this week that killed at least 12 people.

Transportation attorney Matt Stoddard warned that government coordination issues will delay investigations.

“At a minimum, the shutdown will slow down the process,” he told The Guardian. “The NTSB relies on other government agencies, and those departments are operating at a crawl.”

As the FAA continues its emergency measures, travelers across the U.S. brace for a weekend of major flight disruptions, highlighting how political gridlock in Washington is now directly affecting the nation’s skies.