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5h ago

FAA Cuts Flight Flow as Shutdown Strains Air Traffic Control

Essential controllers working without pay face rising sick calls, prompting safety-driven slowdowns at select facilities heading into the holiday weekend.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: A plane takes off near the Hollywood Burbank Airport air traffic control tower (R) on October 6, 2025 in Burbank, California. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated the airport currently has no air traffic controllers in its tower amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Incoming flights are being delayed for over two hours, with control duties currently being handled by Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control in San Diego. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: The Hollywood Burbank Airport air traffic control tower stands (L) as a worker drives on the tarmac on October 6, 2025 in Burbank, California. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated the airport currently has no air traffic controllers in its tower amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Incoming flights are being delayed for over two hours, with control duties currently being handled by Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control in San Diego. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The FAA said it is reducing arrivals and departures at affected airports and centers to maintain safety when staffing drops, citing new traffic limits used at Newark, Orlando and Nashville.
  • FlightAware reported more than 6,400 U.S. delays and 470 cancellations Friday, with roughly 22,000 delays since Monday as localized staffing triggers hit multiple facilities.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that improper sick-leave use could bring discipline, while the controllers’ union urged members to keep reporting and rejected coordinated sick-outs.
  • Controllers received a partial paycheck that was two days short this week, and a NATCA regional vice president in Hawaii said the Oct. 28 paycheck is expected to be zero if the shutdown persists.
  • Impacts remain uneven: hubs such as Chicago, New York–Newark, Phoenix and others faced staffing-related delays, while airports including Las Vegas and Salt Lake City reported no ATC-driven disruptions.