U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy holds a press conference about the impact of the government shutdown on air travel at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City, United States, on October 28, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Commercial air travel in the US will be reduced to “a small amount” ahead of Thanksgiving due to increasing air traffic control staffing shortages, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Most recently, the Trump administration ordered airlines to cut 4% of their domestic flights at 40 major U.S. airports starting last Friday due to staffing shortages. That number is expected to rise to 10% next Friday if the shutdown doesn’t end. Administration officials largely blamed “increasing reports of strain on the system by pilots and air traffic controllers” for the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.
The lack of air traffic controllers complicated travel at major airports from coast to coast over the weekend, adding to the hundreds of flights that airlines had already canceled because of the order. According to FlightAware, 14,792 U.S. flights were delayed and 3,788 canceled so far this weekend.
Airlines for America, an industry group representing the largest U.S. airlines, said 71% of Saturday’s delays were due to air travel staffing shortages.
The country’s airlines will have to cancel hundreds more flights in the coming week if Congress cannot find a quick solution to end the lockdown. Late Friday, Senate Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to reopen the government.
Air traffic controllers and security checkers at airports have to work during the shutdown without receiving their regular salaries. Federal workers will miss their second full paycheck on Monday, according to their union. Some controllers took second jobs to make ends meet, union officials said.
On Sunday, Duffy warned that air travel in the run-up to Thanksgiving would “only get worse” if the shutdown dragged on.
“Air traffic will be reduced to a minimum in the two weeks before Thanksgiving,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Travel around Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 27 this year — is typically some of the busiest of the year as millions of people head home for the holidays.
“A lot of them won’t be able to get on a plane because there won’t be as many flights if this thing doesn’t open back up,” he said.
Airlines warned travelers to expect delays and called on lawmakers to end the shutdown.
“Due to the ongoing government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, we, like most airlines, are experiencing additional and widespread delays and cancellations nationwide today, despite early cancellations requested by the FAA.” American Airlines said in a note to customers on Saturday. “We once again call on leaders in Washington, DC to find an immediate solution to end the shutdown.”
Nearly 2,200 U.S. flights were canceled as of 9:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, about 7% of the daily schedule, according to aviation data firm Cirium, and another 5% were canceled on Sunday. About a third of that number were canceled early in the day, representing a day of severe thunderstorms, which, while disruptive, are commonplace. According to Cirium, Friday ranked as the 72nd worst cancellation since January 1, 2024.
Under the FAA’s order, flight cuts, initially set at 4% of flights, will increase to 6% of schedules, to 8% by Thursday and to 10% next Friday. Transportation Minister Sean Duffy told Fox News on Friday that the cuts could ultimately be up to 20% of schedules, but did not elaborate. Airlines were not required to cut international flights.
The disruptions come during a generally low travel season, but the main Thanksgiving holiday weekend is less than three weeks away. The impact for airlines could be quadrupled given how airfares are rising during this high-demand period, Daniel McKenzie, airline analyst at Seaport Research Partners, said in a note Friday.
Airlines this week waived change fees for travelers on affected flights and indicated they can also request a refund.
Airline executives said many customers were rebooked on alternative flights, while last-minute changes left others looking for other arrangements. hertzFor example, the company said Thursday that when the FAA announced its flight cuts, one-way car rentals rose 20% compared to the same two-day period last year.
Delays increased over the weekend as air traffic control staffing shortages caused delays at major airports Delta Air Lines Hub Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, United Airlines Hubs include Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, as well as Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a busy American hub, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Here are the airports subject to the FAA and DOT cuts:
Affected airports:
- ANC-Anchorage International
- ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- BOS – Boston Logan International
- BWI – Baltimore/Washington International
- CLT – Charlotte Douglas International
- CVG-Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- DAL – Dallas Love
- DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National
- DEN – Denver International
- DFW-Dallas/Fort Worth International
- DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- EEA – Newark Liberty International
- FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- Hlk – Honolulu International
- HOU – Houston Hobby
- IAD – Washington Dulles International
- IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- IND-Indianapolis International
- JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International
- LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International
- LAX-Los Angeles International
- LGA – New York LaGuardia
- MCO-Orlando International
- MDW-Chicago Midway
- MEM – Memphis International
- MIA – Miami International
- MSP – Minneapolis/St. Paul International
- OAK – Oakland International
- ONT – Ontario International
- ORD – Chicago O’Hare International
- PDX-Portland International
- PHL-Philadelphia International
- PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- SAN – San Diego International
- SDF-Louisville International
- SEA-Seattle/Tacoma International
- SFO-San Francisco International
- SLC-Salt Lake City International
- TEB – Teterboro
- TPA-Tampa International
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