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2h ago

FAA Scales Back Flight Caps to 3% at 40 Airports as Shutdown Recovery Advances

Officials point to a sharp drop in staffing-trigger events, setting up a weekend test of system performance.

Travelers check their flight status at Dulles International airport as the nation's air travel system begins to return to normal, as the U.S. government opens back up following the longest shutdown in U.S. history, in Dulles, Virginia, U.S. November 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 12: An American Airlines plane takes off near the air traffic control tower at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has reduced flights by 10 percent in 40 major airports around the country, including LAX, with airlines warning that flight disruptions could continue even after the end of the federal government shutdown as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Mandatory reductions fall from 6% to 3% starting 6 a.m. Saturday after the government reopened, halting a planned escalation to 10%.
  • Staffing triggers dropped from a record 81 on Nov. 8 to low single digits by Friday as more controllers returned to work following missed paychecks and accelerated retirements.
  • The FAA will monitor operations through the weekend to decide whether full schedules can resume next week, with experts cautioning recovery will vary by airport and could take days to weeks.
  • Some limits remain in place, including general aviation restrictions at 12 airports, selected visual flight-rule approaches, overnight windows for space launches, and curbs on parachute and photo missions near affected fields.
  • Operational data show fewer cancellations than the mandates required, with roughly 2–3% scrapped at major hubs Friday and 615 nationwide by midday, though chronic shortfalls like Austin’s tower continue to cause delays and strain.