If you're flying in the US this week, you're going to need to double check your airline itinerary—thousands of flights have been canceled due to the ongoing government shutdown, a situation that will only worsen the longer it drags on.
As air traffic control towers across the country struggle with short staffing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has asked airlines to reduce their flight schedules at 40 of the busiest airports in the US in order to maintain aviation safety. Air traffic controllers—who work grueling 10-hour shifts up to six days per week—are scheduled to miss their second paycheck on November 11 due to the lack of government funding, and will not receive backpay until the shutdown ends.
Aviation experts, including Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Brian Bedford, have said the financial stress facing the nation's already stretched-thin ATC workforce can induce safety risks into the US air travel system. In order to make ends meet, some air traffic controllers have resorted to selling plasma or driving for Uber and DoorDash, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers’ Association, the industry’s largest union, said at press conference on Monday.
“Coworkers have taken a second job, they’re up til midnight driving Uber cause they can’t pay their bills, everyone is questioning if they can pay their mortgage,” air traffic controller Amy Lark said at the press conference. “I have coworkers who cannot pay for childcare, so now they have to figure out how they’re going to come into work. That uncertainty, that fear, creates a distraction that no air traffic controller should have to carry.”
By reducing air traffic in some of the country’s busiest airspace, officials say they hope to relieve some of that stress. “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” Bedford said at a November 5 press conference.
As of Monday, there was some hope that the record-breaking 41-day shutdown would soon come to an end as the Senate voted to advance a potential funding bill. Senators are scheduled to convene again on Monday to take the next steps to approve the deal before sending it to the House.
The funding plan could be approved in the nick of time to alleviate potential travel woes over the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period, during which air travel could “slow to a trickle” if the shutdown continues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN over the weekend.
Here’s everything travelers need to know about how the latest FAA flight cuts could impact upcoming trips.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publication date.
Which airports are affected?
The following 40 airports are facing the 10% reduction in air traffic, according to the AP:
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Dallas Love Field (DAL)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan (DTW)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)
- Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Washington Dulles International (IAD)
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- New York JFK
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Memphis International (MEM)
- Miami International (MIA)
- Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- California’s Ontario International (ONT)
- Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Philadelphia International (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
- San Diego International (SAN)
- Louisville International (SDF)
- Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Salt Lake City International (SLC)
- New Jersey’s Teterboro (TEB)
- Tampa International (TPA)
How many flights are being canceled?
The FAA has told airlines to reduce flights at the 40 target airports beginning Friday, November 7. However, carriers are allowed to ramp up to the full 10% reduction, which could be reached later this week. As of now, carriers are canceling 6% of their schedules at the target airports through Tuesday, November 11.
On Sunday, November 9, there were 2,631 canceled flights across the country, around 10% of the national total, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, making it the fourth worst day for cancellations since January 2024. By Monday afternoon, there were more than 1,900 cancellations within, to, or from the US, per aviation tracking site FlightAware. Chicago O’Hare had the highest number of cancellations, with more than 230 canceled flights or about 17% of its total operations. Nearly 1,000 flights have already been canceled for Tuesday, which is about 4% of all scheduled flights in the US, according to Cirium.
Which flight routes are most at risk?
The majority of routes being cut are domestic US flights. United, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska have all confirmed that their long-haul international routes will not be affected.
In addition to keeping international flights running, United said it wouldn’t cancel “flights that connect our hub airports: Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark Liberty International, San Francisco and Washington Dulles.” So routes between those seven airports should remain unaffected. Instead, United is focusing its cancellations on domestic regional routes. It has listed all of its canceled flights through Wednesday, November 12, on its website. The carrier canceled 186 regional flights for November 10.
Delta said it canceled “approximately 280 Delta mainline and 215 Delta Connection [flights] out of more than 5,200 flights scheduled" as of noon ET on Monday. American Airlines, which has canceled flights through November 12, said it has cut approximately 200 flights per day, focusing cuts on routes it operates multiple times per day to ensure it can rebook as many customers as possible.
Alaska Airlines Group, which includes Hawaiian Airlines, has announced its cancellations through November 11, with the majority of the cuts impacting "routes with a higher frequency of flights, allowing most guests to be reaccommodated with as little disruption as possible,” the airline said. “We worked to ensure smaller and remote communities that are reliant upon air travel are protected.”
What happens if my flight is cancelled?
Airlines are proactively reaching out to affected customers with cancelled flights due to the FAA reduction plan. If you have a flight in the next week or so, be sure to monitor any email address or phone number you submitted to your airline during the booking process. Fliers should also monitor the status of their flight on their airline’s website or mobile app.
For travelers whose flights are cancelled, the majority of US airlines have said they will automatically rebook passengers on the next available flight. However, it’s important to remember that if your flight is cancelled and you no longer wish to travel, you are entitled to a full cash refund from the airline under federal regulations.
Many carriers are offering change fee waivers so that passengers with flights during the reduction period can adjust their travel plans at no charge, including travelers with restrictive basic economy fares. Here are the fee waiver details for American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian, and Southwest.
