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2h ago

Duffy Warns Air Travel Could Slow to a Trickle as FAA Caps Flights at Major Airports

The shutdown has produced 81 controller staffing shortfalls in a day, driving thousands of delays and cancellations at major hubs.

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Travellers waiting at a crowded security checkpoint at Seattle-Tacoma international airport. Increasing numbers of flights are being cancelled in the US due to the shutdown
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Overview

  • FAA traffic reductions that began with a 4% cut are scheduled to reach 10% by Nov. 14 across 40 high‑volume markets to preserve safety.
  • By Sunday afternoon, more than 6,600 flights were delayed and over 1,900 were canceled nationwide, with Atlanta leading cancellations and heavy slowdowns at New York and Chicago airports.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said disruptions will worsen ahead of Thanksgiving and warned travel could be reduced to a trickle unless funding is restored.
  • Officials recorded 81 staffing triggers in a single day, and Duffy said 18 of 22 controllers did not report for work at Atlanta on Saturday.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered reserve air traffic controllers as a potential stopgap, though it remains unclear whether they can be deployed.