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50m ago

FAA Flight Cuts Drive Worst Day of Disruptions as Shutdown Reaches Day 40

The Senate advanced a stopgap measure, with the FAA indicating restrictions remain until staffing improves.

Travelers wait at a security checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Friday.
A traveler sits on his luggage as he waits at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on November 7, 2025. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid congressional paralysis on funding the US budget. Forty airports were due to slow down, including the giant hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.
Passengers head to the rental car center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Saturday.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford hold a news conference at the Department of Transportation Headquarters on Wednesday.

Overview

  • Airlines canceled roughly 3,300 U.S. flights and logged more than 10,000 delays on Sunday as FAA-ordered capacity limits took hold, according to FlightAware.
  • The FAA is phasing reductions at 40 high‑volume airports from 4% through Monday to 6% Tuesday, 8% Thursday, and 10% by Nov. 14, primarily during 6 a.m.–10 p.m. local hours.
  • Major hubs including Atlanta, Newark, LaGuardia, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles and San Francisco saw the heaviest impact, with Atlanta and Newark leading cancellations Sunday.
  • Officials cite unpaid air traffic controllers calling out or retiring as the key driver, with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford framing the cuts as a safety measure and Secretary Sean Duffy warning deeper reductions up to 20% could be required.
  • The Senate’s stopgap needs House approval and the president’s signature, and even with a deal airlines have pre-canceled hundreds of flights for Monday and Tuesday as the FAA ties lifting limits to improved staffing and safety data.