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3w ago

FAA Flight Cuts Trigger Thousands of Cancellations as Shutdown Hits Day 40

Unpaid controller shortages are driving safety-driven FAA cuts that could deepen without a funding deal.

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An airliner, making it's approach, flies past a tree in full autumn color, as flight delays surge from the government shutdown which entered its 30th day, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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Overview

  • Flight disruptions surged on Sunday, with U.S. cancellations topping 2,000 and FlightAware reporting as many as 3,304 cancellations and over 10,000 delays nationwide.
  • The FAA has ordered phased capacity reductions at 40 major airports, starting at 4% and scheduled to reach 10% by Nov. 14 during daytime hours, affecting domestic commercial flights while international services are generally exempt.
  • Major hubs saw heavy impacts, with Atlanta leading daily cancellations and hundreds scrubbed at Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty and New York’s LaGuardia, alongside widespread delays from coast to coast.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned air travel could “slow to a trickle” heading into Thanksgiving and said cuts could rise to 15–20% if controller staffing continues to deteriorate during the shutdown.
  • Senators reported a stopgap funding agreement to reopen the government, but it still requires final passage and the president’s signature before the FAA can reassess the reductions.