Overview
- The FAA’s order requires a 4% cut starting Friday that ramps to 10% by Nov. 14 across 40 high-traffic airports, according to the published directive.
- Airlines canceled hundreds of Friday flights—FlightAware counted roughly 700 to 800—while carriers detailed plans including about 220 daily cancellations at American, 170 at Delta, under 200 at United, and about 120 at Southwest.
- Targets include major hubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Denver and Miami, and the list also covers the FedEx and UPS hubs in Memphis and Louisville, raising concerns for package delivery.
- Carriers are prioritizing hub-to-hub and long-haul international service, trimming regional and high-frequency domestic routes, and offering refunds or free rebooking under DOT rules.
- At full implementation, industry estimates project up to 1,800 daily cancellations and 268,000 seats removed, with officials warning they could tighten restrictions if staffing worsens near the holidays.