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1h ago

House Vote Nears as FAA Extends Flight Caps to 6%, With 10% Cuts Set by Friday

Officials expect a slow recovery because controller shortages and safety data will keep flight caps in place even after the government reopens.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, is one of several major airports seeing long lines recently at security checkpoints.
With flight changes and cancellations afoot, in some places “rental cars are getting to be either unavailable or come at a premium,” one travel expert said.
Flights on smaller regional jets are often among the first to be cut.
People travel through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.

Overview

  • The FAA is holding a 6% reduction in operations at 40 major airports and plans to raise the cuts to 8% Thursday and 10% Friday as a safety measure tied to strained controller staffing.
  • Even as the Senate’s funding bill heads to a House vote Wednesday, operations remain constrained—more than 2,400 flights were canceled Monday, about 1,200 Tuesday, and roughly 880 by early Wednesday—with residual delays expected for days.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic controllers will receive 70% of back pay within 24–48 hours once funding resumes, with the remaining 30% arriving about a week later.
  • Duffy reported staffing “triggers” dropped to four on Tuesday after 81 on Saturday, but he said the FAA will maintain flight caps until staffing and safety metrics improve.
  • The emergency order exempts international flights and requires airlines to cancel affected trips seven days ahead, as the agency contends with a long-standing shortfall of roughly 3,000 certified controllers and reports of accelerated retirements.