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U.S. Orders Flight Cuts as Shutdown Triggers Hundreds of Cancellations

The FAA is throttling domestic movements to protect safety because unpaid controllers and airport security staff have stretched operations for weeks.

Overview

  • Day one of the reductions saw roughly 700–800 U.S. flights canceled, about 3% of scheduled departures, with additional delays reported across major hubs.
  • The phased plan targets the 40 busiest airports, trims domestic services and lower-frequency routes, and explicitly excludes international flights.
  • Cuts start at about 4% today and are scheduled to rise toward roughly 10% by November 14 if the shutdown continues, with officials warning disruptions could intensify.
  • Airlines adjusted schedules and offered refunds or rebookings, with reported day-one cancellations including American (235), Delta (149), Southwest (121), United (112), JetBlue (25) and Frontier (25).
  • Italian unions declared a state of agitation after unpaid October wages for about 1,500 locally hired civilians at U.S. bases in Vicenza, Aviano and Livorno, warning as many as 4,100 workers could be affected under SOFA-linked contracts.