Overview
- Capacity limits at 40 high-traffic airports rose from 4% to 6% at 6 a.m. Tuesday, with increases to 8% Thursday and 10% Friday if needed.
- Flight trackers reported thousands of disruptions, including 2,747 cancellations and 8,337 delays by Monday evening, with weather compounding staffing-related slowdowns in cities like Chicago.
- The FAA expanded restrictions by suspending many general aviation operations at 12 major airports to ease controller workload.
- Air traffic controllers are set to miss a second paycheck, union leaders cite fatigue and safety risks, and officials report accelerated retirements during the shutdown.
- Airlines are trimming schedules, with American canceling roughly 400 flights early this week, and carriers say customers can get refunds for canceled flights but not reimbursement for incidental expenses.