U.S. airlines are bracing for chaos and scrambling to rejig their schedules after Donald Trump’s administration ordered flight reductions at major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the ongoing government shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered 10 percent flight cuts to start on Friday at 40 major U.S. airports, including those in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, affecting both commercial and cargo services. Smaller travel hubs are likely to feel the disruption too.
The cuts are expected to hit hundreds of thousands of travelers with little notice. By late Thursday, over 800 flights had already been canceled and analysts have estimated the reductions could ultimately mean 1,800 flights a day being scrapped, a loss of 268,000 seats.
As carriers struggle to adjust to the situation, United Airlines pledged it would do “everything we can to minimize disruptions to your travel plans” and was avoiding cancelations for long-haul international flights.
American Airlines said it was still awaiting further information from the Federal Aviation Administration as to how its flights would be affected while Delta Air Lines said it expected the majority of its flights to operate as planned.
Key Points
- Major flight cancellations hit airports as Trump administration cuts services over government shutdown
- What are your rights if your flight gets canceled during government shutdown?
- The ‘Core 30’ airports expected to bear the brunt of travel disruption
- How the major airlines are handling flight reduction order
Airlines face $75,000 fine per flight if they go above limit
12:40 , Joe SommerladUnder the Department of Transportation and FAA’s reduced capacity guidelines, airlines could be fined $75,000 for every flight they operate beyond the limit.
The authorities are attempting to bring in the flight reductions gradually, with the U.S. government aiming for a 4 percent cutback today, 6 percent by Tuesday, 8 percent by Thursday and finally 10 percent by next Friday in the hope of keeping the inevitable disruption under control.
In pictures: Passengers facing delays at Seattle-Tacoma and Newark airports
12:20 , Joe SommerladThis was the scene at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late yesterday, as the flight reductions began to come into effect:
Similar scenes of frustration were unfolding across the country in Newark:
What travellers can expect from shutdown flight frustration
12:00 , Joe SommerladSpeaking to Reuters at Newark Airport, Grace Logeman from said she had driven for two hours on Thursday for a Frontier flight to Atlanta that was delayed by three hours.
The delay caused her to miss a connecting flight to the Dominican Republic for her sister’s birthday.
“I’m devastated,” she said while on hold with the airline’s customer service line. “As far as the ongoing shutdown… it’s hurting me. I’m the one sitting here now.”
She is by no means the only person venting her frustrations right now.
EVERY major airport and all the hubs are about to ground flights ahead of the holiday season. This is entirely on the Republicans. pic.twitter.com/awEmPhKREx
— g. (@GeauxGabrielle) November 6, 2025
Here’s more about the reality on the ground for frustrated U.S. travellers and what they can do about it.
The FAA is slashing flights because of the shutdown. Here's what travelers can expect
Holiday package deliveries ‘facing significant delay’
11:40 , Joe SommerladThe disruption is already “affecting the efficiency of air cargo operations that retailers and e-commerce platforms rely on to meet the surge in demand during the holiday season,” Travel and Tour World reports.
That means chaos is likely to have consequences not just for travellers but for consumers at home ordering Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts as the year draws to a close.
“Experts have pointed out that the ongoing disruptions could lead to empty store shelves, delayed deliveries, and frustrated consumers,” TTW explains.
“These delays are expected to hit the hardest during the holiday rush when demand for products like electronics and last-minute gifts spikes. Additionally, air cargo plays a significant role in delivering items with tight turnaround times, and a slowdown in these operations could delay shipments that are dependent on quick delivery.”
Air traffic controllers under pressure but officials insist it is safe to fly
11:20 , Joe SommerladIn ordering its unprecedented flight cuts this week, the FAA cited a safety assessment of air traffic controllers but officials insisted the public should not be concerned and that it is safe to travel.
“It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week,” Sean Duffy said.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford reiterated that message Thursday, saying that the agency would not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.
During the closure, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay.
Absenteeism has risen to 30 percent or more at some airports as their workers turn to second jobs to feed their families or are unable to afford childcare.
But even before the shutdown, the FAA was already short of about 3,500 air traffic controllers, and many were working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.
Airlines have estimated that at least 3.2 million travelers have already been delayed during the shutdown.
Shutdown disruption will have ‘long-term impact’
11:00 , Joe SommerladAn aviation expert has been telling Audie Cornish on CNN that the present upheaval could have lasting consequences for the industry, suggesting that people may think twice about careers as air traffic controllers if this level of disorder becomes the norm.
Tomorrow: Flights cut at 40 airports? FAA and TSA workers unpaid. What long-term impacts could this have on the airline industry? #Airport #Delays #GovernmentShutdown #TSA #FAA #Travel #News pic.twitter.com/Aur2Y5SEjE
— CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish (@CNNThisMorning) November 7, 2025
Newark Liberty International Airport suffering more than three hour flight delays
10:40 , Joe SommerladPassengers arriving at the troubled New Jersey airport late Thursday were facing average delays of at least three and a half hours, The New York Post reports.
“Tomorrow is gonna be a nightmare,” one Newark Airport worker told the newspaper last night. “Tomorrow, the FAA will just shut down. Get out while you can.”
One stranded flyer trying to get home to Miami told the Post: “The flight was delayed one time. A second time, three times. And now I just got here. My connecting flight to D.C. has left, so now I gotta figure out what to do. Pay for a hotel, or probably drive myself to D.C.
“I don’t know what to do, this is my first time experiencing this, so I don’t know. I’m kind of shocked that I’m standing here by myself.”
Several busy East Coast airports, including Newark and New York’s John F Kennedy International and LaGuardia, are expected to be impacted by cancellations and delays on Friday.
How the major airlines are handling the flight reduction order
10:20 , Joe SommerladIn line with the federal directive, American Airlines has said it will reduce its schedules by 4 percent across 40 airports, amounting to around 220 flights canceled each day from Friday through Monday.
The vast majority of these cancellations are for regional flights, allowing the airline to maintain approximately 6,000 daily flights and minimize customer impact, it said.
Delta Air Lines announced the cancellation of about 170 U.S. flights on Friday, with fewer expected on Saturday due to lower travel volume. The carrier normally operates 5,000 daily flights globally.
United Airlines said it plans to cut 4 percent of its flights Friday through Sunday, resulting in less than 200 daily cancellations. The Chicago-based airline operates around 4,500 flights a day. Southwest Airlines will cancel about 120 flights on Friday.
Alaska Airlines has begun canceling a limited number of flights from Friday. The carrier said that most cancellations would affect high-frequency routes, allowing the majority of customers to be re-accommodated with minimal disruption.
Discount carrier Frontier said most of its flights would operate as planned, though in a LinkedIn post its CEO Barry Biffle advised customers traveling to funerals or other critical events over the next 10 days to book backup tickets on different airlines.
In pictures: Passengers queue at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston
10:00 , Joe SommerladThis was the scene in Texas yesterday as the problems first began to become apparent.
What are your rights if your flight gets canceled during the shutdown?
09:45 , Joe SommerladHere’s Kelly Rissman on what passengers can do if they find themselves caught up in the anticipated chaos this weekend.
What are your rights if your flight gets canceled during government shutdown?
The ‘Core 30’ airports expected to bear the brunt of travel disruption
09:30 , Joe SommerladAt his press conference Wednesday, Secretary Duffy said the decision to slash schedules was paramount for safe air travel amid pressure on air traffic controllers, who “are under immense stress and fatigue.”
He said the decision “had not been taken lightly” ahead of the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday travel season and named the FAA’s “Core 30” airports that are likely to be hardest hit by flight cancellations, which are listed below:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl (ATL)
- Boston Logan Intl (BOS)
- Baltimore/Washington Intl (BWI)
- Charlotte Douglas Intl (CLT)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Denver Intl (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth Intl (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
- Newark Liberty Intl (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Intl (FLL)
- Honolulu Intl (HNL)
- Washington Dulles Intl (IAD)
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK)
- Las Vegas McCarran Intl (LAS)
- Los Angeles Intl (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando Intl (MCO)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Memphis Intl (MEM)
- Miami Intl (MIA)
- Minneapolis/St Paul Intl (MSP)
- Chicago O`Hare Intl (ORD)
- Philadelphia Intl (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX)
- San Diego Intl (SAN)
- Seattle/Tacoma Intl (SEA)
- San Francisco Intl (SFO)
- Salt Lake City Intl (SLC)
- Tampa Intl (TPA)
Watch: Transportation secretary announces flight reductions at 40 major U.S. airports
09:15 , Joe SommerladHere’s Sean Duffy’s announcement Wednesday about the cutbacks, which he had warned were coming without a resolution to the government shutdown being forged by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The deadlock became the longest in U.S. history earlier this week and is now into its 38th day, surpassing the 35-dayer in 2018/2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Major flight cancellations hit airports as Trump administration cuts services over government shutdown
09:00 , Joe SommerladAirports across the U.S. are bracing for chaos as cuts to flight schedules made by the Federal Aviation Administration come into effect amid the ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in American history.
By late Thursday over 800 flights within and in and out of the U.S. had already been canceled for Friday according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.com.
Around 200 flights were canceled Thursday as airports and passengers prepared to bear the brunt of the measures.
It comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA announced that 40 of the country’s busiest airports across two dozen states, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago, would be phasing in a 10 percent reduction in their flight schedules.
The disruptions will affect service at many smaller airports too and some travelers had already started changing or canceling their itineraries.
Here’s Mike Bedigan and Rhian Lubin to set the scene.
Major flight cancellations hit as airports comply with cuts over shutdown
Good morning
08:45 , Joe SommerladHello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Friday’s expected travel chaos across major U.S. airports after the Trump administration ordered 10 percent reductions in flights from major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the ongoing government shutdown.
