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2h ago

FAA Lowers Required Flight Cuts to 3% at 40 Major Airports

A sharp drop in staffing triggers tied to improved controller attendance prompted the change.

Travelers check their flight status at Dulles International airport as the nation's air travel system begins to return to normal, as the U.S. government opens back up following the longest shutdown in U.S. history, in Dulles, Virginia, U.S. November 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Overview

  • The reduction from 6% to 3% took effect at 6 a.m. local time Saturday as the agency continues weekend monitoring to decide on a return to normal schedules.
  • Staffing-trigger events fell from a record 81 on Nov. 8 to three on Nov. 14, with officials crediting improved attendance as controllers began receiving back pay.
  • Some limits remain in place, including restrictions on general aviation at 12 airports, certain visual approaches, constrained commercial space launch windows, and parachute or photo missions near facilities with staffing triggers.
  • Operational metrics have improved, with roughly 615 cancellations reported Friday and national cancellation rates near 2% at times, while many airlines kept flexible change waivers in place.
  • Officials and industry experts caution that recovery will be gradual given long-standing controller shortages and local bottlenecks, and ripple effects could persist into the Thanksgiving travel period.