Overview
- Airlines at 40 major airports began phased reductions of 4% this weekend, set to reach 10% by Nov. 14, with officials cautioning cuts could rise to 20% if funding is not restored.
- FlightAware reported roughly 7,700 delays and more than 2,200 cancellations in the U.S. on Sunday, with heavy impacts at Atlanta and New York–area airports.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned travel could slow to “a trickle” before Thanksgiving, noting 81 staffing “triggers” on Saturday and widespread no-shows such as 18 of 22 controllers in Atlanta.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered reserve military controllers to help, though Duffy said it is unclear whether they can be deployed to civilian airspace.
- Controller retirements have accelerated to 15–20 per day versus about four before the shutdown, leaving the FAA an estimated 1,000–2,000 controllers short and extending recovery timelines even if funding returns; industry groups cite millions of disrupted passengers and significant daily economic costs.