FAA-mandated flight cancellations to worsen next week if shutdown continues
A Republic Airways aircraft takes off near the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, United States, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Samuel Corum | Bloomberg | Getty Images
U.S. airlines will be forced to cut hundreds more flights next week unless Congress can reach a solution to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Trump administration officials this week ordered airlines to begin cutting flights to 40 busy U.S. destinations airports On Friday, he blamed “increasing reports from both pilots and air traffic controllers of increasing pressure on the system.”
Late Friday, Senate Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to reopen the government.
Air traffic controllers and airport security guards are required to work without their regular salaries during the shutdown. Federal workers will miss their second full paycheck on Monday, according to their union. Some controllers have taken second jobs to make ends meet, union officials said.
On Saturday, 931 of 25,375 U.S. flights were canceled, according to aviation data firm Cirium. This share of cancellations was on par with severe storms, which, although routine, can be devastating. Cirium said Friday that it ranked 72nd, the worst since Jan. 1, 2024.
Under the FAA’s order, flight disruptions will increase to 6% of schedules, 8% by Thursday and 10% by next Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News on Friday that the cuts could amount to as much as 20% of schedules over time, but did not elaborate.
The disruptions typically occur during a low travel season, but the major Thanksgiving holiday weekend is less than three weeks away. The impact on airlines could quadruple, given how prices rise during a period of high demand, Seaport Research Partners airline analyst Daniel McKenzie said in a note Friday.
Airlines this week waived date change fees for passengers on affected flights and said they could also request a refund. Airline executives noted that many customers were rebooking on alternative flights, while last-minute changes were prompting others to scramble for other flights. HertzFor example, when the FAA announced flight disruptions on Thursday, it noted that one-way car rentals were up 20% compared to the same two-day period the previous year.
Delays also increased, with 2,156 late flights, according to FlightAware. A shortage of air traffic control personnel on Saturday led to delays at airports including San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
