Overview
- The FAA mandate covers 40 high‑volume airports with a phased schedule starting at a 4% cut, set to rise to 6% Tuesday, 8% Thursday and 10% by Nov. 14 if the shutdown continues.
- Data from FlightAware and Cirium show more than 1,700 cancellations since Friday and thousands of delays, with heavy impacts at hubs including Washington National, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas–Fort Worth, Newark, JFK, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned reductions could be pushed to 15–20% absent a funding deal in Congress.
- Airlines are preserving most long‑haul international and hub‑to‑hub services while cutting domestic and regional flights, and they are offering fee‑free rebooking; the DOT ordered full cash refunds for canceled itineraries.
- Officials cautioned that disruptions could intensify as Thanksgiving nears and that cargo operations may be affected at major package hubs in Memphis and Louisville.