Overview
- Airlines scrubbed more than 2,900 flights on Sunday after exceeding 1,500 on Saturday, with roughly 1,600 already canceled for Monday and nearly 1,000 for Tuesday, according to FlightAware.
- The FAA’s safety-driven directive cut scheduled flights by 4% at 40 major airports, rising to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by Nov. 14, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning cuts could reach about 20% if funding is not restored.
- Major hubs including Atlanta, Newark, LaGuardia, JFK and Chicago O’Hare logged the heaviest cancellations and long delays, as ground-delay programs and staffing gaps slowed operations.
- Controller absences and accelerated retirements have intensified after weeks without pay during the federal shutdown, with officials stressing capacity limits are necessary to manage fatigue and maintain safety.
- Airlines are offering waivers and refunds as Congress works on a funding deal, and industry groups caution that prolonged reductions could squeeze belly cargo capacity and disrupt holiday travel and supply chains.