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3w ago

U.S. Flight Disruptions Deepen as FAA Orders Cuts, Senate Moves Toward Shutdown Deal

Officials say reductions will stay in place until controller staffing stabilizes with safety data supporting a rollback.

Travelers wait at a security checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Friday.
Flight timings and cancellations are displayed on the departures board, a month into the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 9, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
A traveler sits on his luggage as he waits at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on November 7, 2025. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid congressional paralysis on funding the US budget. Forty airports were due to slow down, including the giant hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.
Passengers head to the rental car center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Saturday.

Overview

  • Airlines scrubbed about 3,000 flights and logged nearly 11,000 delays on Sunday, the worst day since the shutdown-triggered flight caps began, according to FlightAware and multiple outlets.
  • More than 1,500 U.S. flights were already canceled early Monday, the fourth straight day topping 1,000, with the FAA also curbing some general aviation operations at towers facing staffing gaps.
  • The FAA’s phased cuts at 40 major airports started at 4% on Friday, are set to reach 6% Tuesday and 10% by Nov. 14 during 6 a.m.–10 p.m. local operating windows.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned reductions could rise to 15–20% and said restoration of schedules will wait for improved staffing and safety indicators as controller absences and retirements accelerate.
  • Major hubs bore the brunt of disruptions, including Atlanta, Newark and New York’s LaGuardia, while the Senate advanced a stopgap funding bill that still requires House approval and the president’s signature before agencies reopen.