Overview
- Airlines began complying Friday with a federal directive to trim operations by 4% at 40 high-traffic airports, with staged increases planned to 6%, 8% and 10% by Nov. 14 if funding is not restored.
- Flight-tracking and industry data show widespread disruption: reports ranged from roughly 800 to over 1,700 cancellations on Friday and additional hundreds of cancellations with thousands of delays on Saturday.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said reductions could rise to as much as 20% if the shutdown persists, warning of mounting pressure as Thanksgiving travel nears.
- Carriers concentrated cuts on domestic and regional routes while largely maintaining long-haul international service; American canceled about 220 flights per day, United fewer than 200 on Friday and Saturday, and Delta about 170 on Friday.
- Unpaid staffing shortfalls are also stretching TSA checkpoints, producing longer security lines, and officials cautioned that package hubs in Memphis and Louisville could face knock-on effects if reductions continue.