On a Thursday in early November, the United States air system began to slow itself deliberately, as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to trim flights at 40 of the country's busiest airports. The reason is less a question of machines than of people: air traffic controllers, working without pay through a government shutdown that began in October, are increasingly exhausted and calling in sick, and the agency has judged that the system cannot safely carry its usual load. Such cuts are rare in a country that measures its sky by abundance, and they arrive as a reminder that publi
FAA Orders Hundreds of Flight Cuts at 40 Busy U.S. Airports as Shutdown Strains Air Traffic Control
Up to 268,000 passengers per day may face disrupted travel plans, and air traffic controllers are working without pay during the shutdown.
These cuts will last indefinitely, until safety data improves.
Mark
Why is the FAA cutting flights rather than just waiting out the shutdown?
Mimi
Because the controllers are tired. They've worked unpaid since Oct. 1, most are on mandatory overtime six days a week, and sick days are climbing. The FAA's order says fatigue and unpredictable staffing are raising risk.
Luke
Worth noting that's the FAA's own assessment in its order. The reporting doesn't give us sick-call numbers or any specific safety incident behind it.
Mark
How big are the cuts?
Mimi
They start at four per cent Friday and rise to 10 per cent by Nov. 14, at 40 airports, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. American says four per cent is about 220 cancellations a day for it alone.
Luke
And the 1,800 flights and 268,000 passengers a day is Cirium's estimate, not an official figure. The 760-plus cancellations by late Thursday come from FlightAware.
Mark
Who feels it most?
Mimi
Travellers with weekend plans, like Fallon Carter, who cancelled a Tampa trip over a wedding. Some airlines are focusing cuts on small and medium-size cities. FedEx in Memphis and UPS in Louisville are on the list too.
Luke
Whether packages are actually delayed is still only a possibility in the reporting.
Mark
When does it end?
Mimi
The cuts last until safety data improves, with no set date.
Luke
Right, and the source doesn't say what threshold counts as improved.
El Pulso
- Airlines scrambled within hours to cancel more than 760 Friday flights after the FAA ordered cuts at 40 major airports.
- Controllers working unpaid since Oct. 1 are calling in sick at rising rates, and the agency warns that fatigue is now a safety threat.
- Carriers are choosing which routes to sacrifice, with American trimming about 220 flights a day and shielding its international network.
- Up to 268,000 passengers a day could be stranded as the cuts climb toward 10 per cent by Nov. 14, just before the holiday rush.
- With no end date set, travellers are cancelling trips and hunting for backup tickets while the outcome hinges on staffing and safety data.
On a Thursday in early November, the United States air system began to slow itself deliberately, as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to trim flights at 40 of the country's busiest airports. The reason is less a question of machines than of people: air traffic controllers, working without pay through a government shutdown that began in October, are increasingly exhausted and calling in sick, and the agency has judged that the system cannot safely carry its usual load. Such cuts are rare in a country that measures its sky by abundance, and they arrive as a reminder that public institutions rest on the willingness of ordinary workers to keep showing up. Whether the reductions deepen toward their intended ceiling, and whether staffing and safety recover, will determine how long travellers must live with a sky made quieter by a political standoff.
By late Thursday, more than 760 flights had already disappeared from Friday's schedules, and airlines across the country were racing to decide where to cut. The Federal Aviation Administration had asked for fewer planes in the air at its busiest airports, pointing to a government shutdown that has left air traffic controllers working without pay and taking more sick days. Forty airports in more than two dozen states made the list, from Atlanta and Dallas to Denver, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The order starts at four per cent and rises to ten per cent by Nov. 14, applying during daytime hours and covering most domestic carriers. The agency says the goal is safety, because fatigue among a strained workforce is adding risk to a system already under pressure. American Airlines expects to lose about 220 flights a day, while United, Delta and American have offered refunds even on non-refundable tickets.
For travellers, the disruption is personal. Fallon Carter gave up a beach weekend in Tampa, fearing she would not make it home for her best friend's wedding. Kelly Matthews, who flies every week, has cancelled most of her upcoming trips, and she said the controllers are not refusing to work but cannot afford to. Cargo networks may also feel the strain, since the list includes Memphis and Louisville.
With no end date in sight, the next signals will be whether the cuts reach their full level and whether controller staffing and safety data begin to improve.
By late Thursday, more than 760 flights had already vanished from Friday's schedules, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight disruptions. U.S. airlines had started cancelling flights because the Federal Aviation Administration wanted less traffic at the country's busiest airports. The reason was the government shutdown and the strain it is putting on air traffic controllers.
The FAA picked 40 airports in more than two dozen states, according to a list distributed to the airlines. Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte, N.C., are on it. In New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington, more than one airport is affected. The agency's official order, published Thursday evening, sets the reductions at four per cent on Friday and raises them to 10 per cent by Nov. 14. They apply between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time and cover all commercial airlines, as well as a subset of smaller carriers that run scheduled charter flights. International flights do not have to be cut.
The order says the aim is to maintain safety. "With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned with the system's ability to maintain the current volume of operations," it reads. Controllers have worked without pay since the shutdown began Oct. 1, and they have increasingly taken sick days. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week. The cuts also arrive as the Trump administration increases pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown.
Airlines had only hours to decide where to trim. American Airlines said it would cut its schedule at the listed airports by four per cent from Friday through Monday, about 220 cancellations a day, then move toward the 10 per cent target. It said its international schedule should be untouched. Some carriers planned to focus on routes to and from small and medium-size cities. Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said the effect would be noticeable across the U.S. air transportation system.
Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, estimates the cuts could affect as many as 1,800 flights, or upward of 268,000 passengers, per day. Airlines are used to cancelling thousands of flights at short notice in severe weather, but these cuts will stay in place indefinitely, until safety data improves.
Travellers are already adjusting, just weeks before the holiday season. Fallon Carter cancelled her Friday flight from New York to Tampa, where she had planned a beach weekend. She feared not getting back to Long Island in time to be a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding. "I don't know if I get there, will I get home?" she said. Kelly Matthews, of Flat Rock, Mich., flies every week and has cancelled most of her upcoming trips. She said she understands why federal airport employees have stopped showing up. "You can't expect people to go in to work when they're not getting a paycheque for the continuation of over a month now," she said, adding that it is not a matter of unwillingness, but of being unable to afford gas and day care.
United, Delta and American said they would refund passengers who choose not to fly, even those holding non-refundable tickets. The head of Frontier Airlines advised travellers to buy backup tickets on another airline to avoid being stranded. Package deliveries could also be disrupted, since the list includes Memphis, Tenn., where FedEx operates, and Louisville, Ky., home to UPS and the site of this week's deadly cargo plane crash.
Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said the shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and damaging confidence in U.S. air travel. With no end date on the cuts, the next signals are whether the reductions climb to 10 per cent by Nov. 14 and whether controller staffing and safety data improve.
Citas Notables
With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned with the system's ability to maintain the current volume of operations.— FAA order
This is going to have a noticeable impact across the U.S. air transportation system.— Henry Harteveldt, industry analyst
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