Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the reductions will begin Friday if the shutdown continues, with the list of affected airports due Thursday.
- The FAA is meeting with airline leaders to allocate proportional schedule cuts by carrier to keep operations within safe staffing levels.
- Controllers have been working without pay since October 1, with more than 400 staffing absences reported and rising delays and cancellations across the system.
- The FAA manages over 44,000 flights a day, so concentrating a 10% reduction in 40 high-volume markets could disrupt thousands of travelers.
- Officials warned the plan could expand to restrict space launches and small-aircraft operations in certain markets, and industry groups urged Congress to reopen the government before peak holiday travel.