FAA Orders Flight Cuts at 40 Airports as Shutdown Strains Air Traffic Control

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to cut flights at 40 of the busiest airports in the United States, as the record-long government shutdown leaves thousands of air traffic controllers working without pay.

The order, announced on Wednesday by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, takes effect on Friday and applies between 6am and 10pm. Only domestic flights are affected; international services are exempt.

Cuts start at 4% and rise to 10%

Airlines must cut 4% of operations from Friday, rising to 6% by 11 November, 8% by 13 November and 10% by 14 November if the shutdown continues, under the emergency order. Carriers that fly above the limit face a fine of $75,000 per flight, the FAA said.

The disruption was already visible on Friday. More than 815 flights had been called off nationwide, according to FlightAware, with Delta cancelling about 170 flights and American Airlines planning to cut about 220 a day through Monday. Southwest planned about 120 cancellations. At the full 10% level, about 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats a day would disappear, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The order lands even as some carriers expand: Breeze Airways has just announced 16 new nonstop routes for the winter, while JetBlue has cut 13 international routes as it reshapes its network.

Controllers working without pay

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have worked without pay since the shutdown began on 1 October. Controllers are working six-day weeks with mandatory overtime, and the FAA was already about 3,500 controllers short before the funding lapsed.

Bedford said the agency was acting before conditions worsened. “We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” he said. He described reducing traffic in response to a funding lapse as unprecedented.

Duffy has warned that if the shutdown continues, travellers will see “mass chaos” involving delays, cancellations and potentially airspace closures.

Which airports are affected

The 40 airports span more than two dozen states and include the country’s largest hubs: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte, as well as airports serving New York, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Miami, San Francisco and Orlando. In several metropolitan areas — including New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington — more than one airport is affected, and the knock-on effects could reach smaller airports too.

Travellers have already faced disruption this month: fog grounded Dallas flights earlier in the week, with American Airlines leading US cancellations.

What travellers should do

Airlines are contacting affected passengers, and carriers must refund customers whose flights are cancelled. They are not required to cover food or hotel costs unless the disruption is within their control, according to the Transportation Department. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before travelling and to allow extra time at the airport.

The timing adds pressure: the 10% level would arrive on 14 November, less than two weeks before Thanksgiving on 26 November, one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The shutdown, now in its 38th day, is already the longest in American history, and there is still no agreement in Congress to end it.

The FAA said the cuts were a safety measure driven by staffing, and that the limits would stay in place for as long as the shutdown continues.