Overview
- Airlines were told to start reductions Friday at roughly 4% and ramp to about 10% during daytime hours, targeting flights scheduled between about 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- A circulated list names 40 airports such as JFK, LAX, O’Hare, Atlanta, Orlando and Boston Logan, and local officials report early cancellations and schedule reshuffles.
- United, American, Delta and Southwest are offering fee-free changes and refunds, with carriers preserving long-haul and hub-to-hub flying and trimming regional routes.
- Cirium estimates up to about 1,800 flights and roughly 268,000 seats could be removed per day, and cargo operations at FedEx’s Memphis and UPS’s Louisville hubs may feel the effects.
- FAA leaders and the controllers’ union warn reductions could expand if unpaid staffing and absences worsen heading into the Thanksgiving travel period.