Overview
- Flight reductions that began at 4% on Nov. 7 are scheduled to rise to 6% on Nov. 11 and 10% by Nov. 14, with deeper cuts up to 20% possible if staffing worsens.
- More than 7,700 U.S. flights were delayed and nearly 2,300 were canceled Sunday, with major backlogs at hubs including Atlanta, New York’s airports and Chicago O’Hare.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported 81 staffing “triggers” on Saturday when controller levels fell below permitted minimums, including a severe shortfall in Atlanta.
- The FAA says the restrictions will stay in place until the government reopens and system stress eases, while airlines expand rebooking and refund options and urge travelers to check status.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered reserve military air traffic controllers as a contingency, though questions remain about certification and deployment to civilian airspace.