Air travel disruptions spread across the United States on Friday, November 7, 2025, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began enforcing flight reductions at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, a move aimed at easing pressure on overworked air traffic controllers during the prolonged federal government shutdown.
The FAA confirmed that airlines were instructed to scale back domestic operations between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. each day, with capacity reductions beginning around 4% and rising toward 10% over the next several days if the shutdown continues.
Airlines begin cancellations and schedule changes
Hundreds of flights were canceled nationwide, with thousands more delayed, according to data from flight-tracking sites. The disruptions were most concentrated at the nation’s largest hubs — Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles — but delays quickly rippled through smaller regional airports as well.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, travelers crowded ticket counters as airlines rebooked passengers on fewer available flights. Similar scenes were reported at Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles International, and Newark Liberty.
United Airlines said it had canceled roughly 4% of scheduled flights for the weekend, while Delta Air Lines and American Airlines confirmed they were “proactively consolidating” flights to comply with the FAA’s order. Southwest Airlines said it would adjust schedules through mid-week “to maintain operational stability.”
FAA cites safety as staffing crisis deepens
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the reductions were a “proactive safety measure” needed to manage workload with thousands of FAA employees continuing to work unpaid.
“This is not a step we wanted to take,” Duffy said. “But it’s one we must take to ensure that our skies remain safe and our controllers are not stretched beyond safe limits.”
FAA officials said the agency is operating under partial funding and that staffing levels at several key control centers have reached “critical lows.” Increased fatigue and sick leave among controllers have compounded the strain. The agency said normal capacity will be restored “only when staffing returns to sustainable and safe levels.”
Airports identified nationwide
According to a list distributed to airlines, the reductions cover nearly every major US hub. Among them are Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington D.C. (Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore/Washington).
The FAA has not formally released its own list but confirmed that “high-volume markets” are being targeted to manage controller workload. Officials said the agency will review system performance daily and adjust as needed.
Friday marked the 34th day of the federal government shutdown, with no agreement between the White House and Congress to restore funding to the FAA or other affected agencies.
Airlines warned that if capacity restrictions continue into the Thanksgiving travel period, disruptions could escalate sharply. “We are doing everything possible to minimize the impact on our customers,” a Delta spokesperson said. “But with reduced airspace capacity, delays are unavoidable.”
Industry analysts said the ripple effects from this week’s cancellations could persist for several days as crews, aircraft, and passengers become displaced across the network.
The FAA said it will continue to “prioritize safety above all else” as the cuts remain in place and that it will restore normal flight levels as soon as staffing conditions allow.
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