Overview
- Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights and logged over 5,000 delays on Friday as the first 4% capacity cap took effect at 40 airports.
- Reagan National saw some of the worst backups, with average delays near four hours, about 17–18% of flights canceled, and roughly 40% delayed.
- The order phases reductions to 6% on Tuesday, 8% Thursday, and 10% by Nov. 14, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned cuts could reach 15–20% if staffing worsens.
- Carriers preserved long-haul and hub connectivity by trimming high-frequency regional routes, rebooking most affected customers and offering refunds or fee-free changes.
- Ripple effects include long TSA lines, potential pressure on cargo flows that rely on passenger belly space, and airports such as Denver offering aid to unpaid federal workers.