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Airports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, along with hubs across the U.S., are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday (November 7, 2025) due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday (November 5) that it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.
The airports impacted cover the busiest across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.
The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work. Controllers have already missed one paycheck and are scheduled to again receive nothing next week as the shutdown drags on and the financial pressure on them mounts. The FAA has already been delaying flights at times when airports or its other facilities are short on controllers.
Airlines said they would try to minimise the impact on travellers. United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s.
Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations on Thursday (November 6). The AAA recommended that travellers download their airline’s app and turn on notifications. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they will offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly — even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference on Wednesday (November 5, 2025). “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began on October 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.
Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Mr. Bedford said. “We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday (November 7, 2025), the FAA wouldn’t automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilises.
Mr. Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday (November 5) that they would meet with airline executives to figure out how to safely implement the reductions.
Major airlines, aviation unions and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday (November 5) became the longest on record.
The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.
Mr. Duffy warned on Tuesday (November 4) that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.
Mr. Duffy said some controllers can get by missing one paycheck, but not two or more. And he has said some controllers are even struggling to pay for transportation to work.
Staffing can run short both in regional control centres that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.
But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.
From Friday (October 31) to Sunday (November 2) evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Centre system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.
During weekends from January 1 to September 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centres, and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.
Published – November 06, 2025 10:28 pm IST
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U.S. to cancel flights by 10% in 40 airports as government shutdown drags on
