Major airports including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington were hit hardest. (Wikimedia Commons Photo/ Representational)US Airport Government Shutdown Live Updates: US air travel faced growing turmoil on Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began ordering airlines to cut flights amid the record-long government shutdown. The agency has directed a 4 per cent reduction at 40 major airports, rising to 10 per cent by November 14, as staffing shortages among unpaid air traffic controllers worsen, according to Reuters. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown continues, flight cuts could reach 20 per cent in the coming weeks, citing safety risks. “We’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace,” he said.
Thousands of flights delayed or cancelled: By Friday evening, more than 5,000 flights were delayed and over 1,000 cancelled across the United States, data from FlightAware showed. Major airports including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington were hit hardest, with long lines and hours-long delays reported, AP said. At Reagan National Airport, nearly 40 per cent of flights were delayed, while 17 per cent were cancelled. Airlines such as United, Delta, American, and Southwest said they were trying to minimise disruption and rebook affected passengers, focusing cancellations on smaller regional routes.
What if the shutdown continues? The FAA said the unprecedented order was aimed at easing pressure on controllers, many of whom have been working six-day weeks with mandatory overtime and without pay for nearly a month. Duffy said the cuts were necessary to prevent safety lapses, citing incidents of planes not maintaining proper separation. AP reported that some airports, including Denver International, are offering food pantries for unpaid federal staff as the administration ramps up pressure on Congress to resolve the impasse. The FAA added that restrictions will remain in place until staffing levels and safety data improve.
US airlines and travelers slogged through a second day of flight cuts across the country on Saturday as the government shutdown was expected to drive more cancellations in the days to come.
The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4% of flights on Saturday at 40 major airports because of the shutdown. The cuts will rise to 6% on Tuesday and then to 10% by November 14. (Reuters)
Senators are working through the weekend for the first time since the government shutdown began more than a month ago, hoping to find a bipartisan resolution that has so far eluded them as government workers have gone unpaid, airlines have been forced to cancel flights, and SNAP benefits have been delayed for millions of Americans. As the weekend session was set to begin Saturday, it was unclear if Republicans and Democrats could make any headway toward reopening the government and breaking a partisan impasse that has now lasted 39 days. Republicans on Friday rejected an offer from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, with Thune calling it a “nonstarter.”
Republicans have refused to engage with Democrats who are demanding that GOP leaders and President Donald Trump negotiate an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year. But GOP leaders have signalled an openness to an emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to reopen the government in exchange for a vote on health care at a later date. New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is leading the talks among moderates, said Friday evening that Democrats “need another path forward” after Republicans rejected Schumer's offer. “We're working on it,” she said.
(AP)
Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages. Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.How are passengers being affected?Most were relieved to find that airlines mostly stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. There's still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next.“I just don’t want to be stranded at the airport sleeping on a bench,” Michele Cuthbert, of Columbus, Ohio, said about an upcoming flight to Dallas. Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flight altogether.What could be the impacts beyond air travel?First, there's the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all US air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft. Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.“This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel," he said. "It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.’
(AP)
Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the US are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air service due to the lingering government shutdown.So far, the government-ordered slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn't caused any widespread disruptions. But analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air travel if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.Already there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves. Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:
How many flights have been cancelled?
The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slowdown saw more than 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.Over 700 were off for Saturday, typically a slow travel day. Those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide, but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues. The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will ramp up to 10% over the coming week.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Friday that additional flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.
(AP)
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said on Friday he did not expect significant disruption for customers from government-ordered flight reductions initially, but warned that the impact would increase. "This level of cancellation is going to grow over time and that's something that is going to be problematic," Isom told CNBC. American told Reuters its 220 flight cancellations on Friday affected 12,000 passengers and the airline re-routed a majority of them within a few hours.
Fewer flights will be cut over the weekend as scheduled flight volumes decline. United Airlines said half of affected customers were able to be rebooked within four hours of their original departure time. The airline canceled 184 flights on Friday and expected to cut 168 on Saturday and 158 on Sunday. Duffy initially announced on Wednesday that flights would be reduced 10 per cent on Friday. But the agency decided to phase in the cuts starting at 4 per cent to make the move less disruptive, he said on Friday.
Duffy said safety data was behind the move, including incidents of planes not maintaining separation and ground incursions. The FAA is restricting space launches, and authorities said they could cut up to 10 per cent of private-plane flights at high-traffic airports. International flights are not affected by the move.
(Reuters)
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday he could force airlines to cut up to 20 per cent of flights if the government shutdown did not end, as US airlines on Friday scrambled to make unprecedented government-imposed reductions. The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4 per cent of flights on Friday at 40 major airports because of the government shutdown. The cuts will rise to 10 per cent by November 14.
Separately, air traffic controller absences on Friday forced the FAA to delay hundreds of flights at 10 airports including Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, DC, and Newark. By 7:30 pm. ET (1130 GMT), there were more than 5,300 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website. At Reagan Washington National, delays were averaging four hours, while 17 per cent of flights were cancelled and nearly 40 per cent delayed. During the record 38-day government shutdown, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay, leading to increased absenteeism. Many air traffic controllers were notified on Thursday that they would receive no pay for a second pay period next week. The Trump administration has sought to ramp up pressure on Democrats in Congress to agree to a Republican plan to fund the federal government, which would allow it to reopen.
Raising the specter of dramatic air-travel disruptions is one such effort. Democrats contend Republicans are to blame for the shutdown because they refuse to negotiate over extending health insurance subsidies. Duffy told reporters it was possible he could require 20 per cent cuts in air traffic if things get worse and more controllers do not show up for work. "I assess the data," Duffy said. "We're going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace." The cuts, which began at 6 am ET (1100 GMT), includes about 700 flights from the four largest carriers - American Airlines , Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines - and are set to rise to 6 per cent on Tuesday and then 10 per cent by November 14 if the shutdown does not end. New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted a photo of an airport flight board filled with canceled flights.
(Reuters)
Fox Business reported that Newark, Washington DC, and Boston have been hit hardest by flight delays this week, with Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Atlanta close behind.
Newark Liberty International Airport topped the list of 28 major US airports, logging 1,237 delays, followed by Chicago O’Hare with 1,196, according to data from FlightAware.
In total, more than 14,900 flights across the country have been delayed this week, with over 450 cancellations reported. Southwest and United Airlines are facing the most disruptions, Fox Business noted.
The record-breaking US government shutdown is beginning to take a visible toll on air travel as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) orders flight reductions at 40 major airports starting 6 am ET Friday.
Major carriers including United, Southwest, and Delta began cancelling flights overnight, with major hubs in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago among the first to feel the impact. The FAA has directed a 4% reduction in air traffic from Friday morning, citing growing safety concerns as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay during the shutdown.
There’s a full list of affected airports HERE.
Delta announced it would cancel 170 flights on Friday and “fewer” on Saturday, describing the move as a precaution amid lighter travel days. Southwest said it would cancel 120 flights on Friday, while United confirmed plans to cut 4% of its flights between Friday and Sunday.
The FAA said the reductions were necessary to “maintain the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system,” warning that controller fatigue and unpredictable staffing shortages were increasing risk levels.
Not necessarily. You may just need more planning and flexibility than usual. A travel adviser can help ease the stress, and travel insurance could offer extra protection. Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble Travel (an association of travel agencies in the US and Canada) warned that flights could sell out quickly once the shutdown ends. “There will be a flurry of booking activity,” he said. “So try to get ahead of it and make sure that you’re protected.”
(AP)
According to the FAA, airlines will be required to issue full refunds. However, they are not obligated to cover secondary costs, such as food or hotel stays, unless a delay or cancellation results from a factor within the airline’s control, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said. Travellers can check the DOT website to see what their airline promises for refunds or compensation in cases of cancellation or delay.
(AP)
“Take a deep breath. Don’t panic,” Johnson said, reported AP. “There are options available. They may not be ideal, and they may be inconvenient, but you have options.” If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. While waiting, you can also call or go online to reach the airline’s reservation staff. Airlines may also respond quickly to messages on X. Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, noted that the shutdown affects multiple airlines simultaneously. “The longer the shutdown drags on, it’s unlikely that there will be one airline running on time if the rest of them are failing,” he said, according to AP.
That’s unclear. Even if the shutdown ends soon, the FAA has said it won’t lift flight restrictions until staffing levels at airport towers and regional air traffic centres make it safe to do so. “It’s going to take time to work through this,” said Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble Travel, an association of travel agencies in the US and Canada. He advised travellers to plan ahead, whether they’ve already booked flights or are just starting to make holiday travel arrangements.
Passengers were expected to be notified by airlines on Thursday if their flights were cancelled. Still, it’s a good idea to check airline apps or flight-tracking sites before heading to the airport. Airlines say they are trying to minimise disruption, though some passengers could see weekend plans upended with little notice. United Airlines, for instance, said it would focus its cuts on regional routes that use smaller planes.
(AP)
There’s a good chance it is. The list spans more than two dozen states and includes the nation’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia, as well as the main airports in Anchorage, Boston, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and others. In some metro areas, including New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington, multiple airports will be impacted. The reductions apply between 6 am and 10 pm local time and affect all commercial airlines, the FAA said.
(AP)
Airports in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major hubs will be affected, according to the FAA’s order published Thursday evening. Hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday were already cancelled by late Thursday afternoon, and that number is expected to rise as reductions ramp up from 4 per cent on Friday to 10 per cent by November 14.
Passengers can expect delays and packed flights heading into the weekend and beyond.
(AP)
* 1,800 flights and 268,000 airline seats are estimated to be cut per day when the full 10 per cent reduction takes effect, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
* To meet the cuts on Friday, Delta said it would cancel about 170 flights, Southwest about 120 flights and American Airlines about 220 flights. United said it would cut 4 per cent of flights but did not specify a number.
* Airlines can face a $75,000 fine for each flight operated over the limit, the FAA said. The agency threatened to impose cuts if carriers did not make cuts equitably across communities.
(Reuters)
* Anchorage, Alaska - ANC - Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
* Atlanta, Georgia - ATL - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
* Boston, Massachusetts - BOS - Boston Logan International
* Baltimore, Maryland - BWI - Baltimore/Washington International
* Charlotte, North Carolina - CLT - Charlotte Douglas International
* Hebron, Kentucky - CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
* Dallas, Texas - DAL - Dallas Love Field
* Arlington, Virginia - DCA - Ronald Reagan Washington National
* Denver, Colorado - DEN - Denver International
* Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas - DFW - Dallas/Fort Worth International
* Romulus, Michigan - DTW - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
* Newark, New Jersey - EWR - Newark Liberty International
* Fort Lauderdale, Florida - FLL - Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
* Honolulu, Hawaii- HNL - Honolulu International
* Houston, Texas - HOU - William P. Hobby Airport
* Dulles, Virginia - IAD - Washington Dulles International
* Houston, Texas - IAH - George Bush Houston Intercontinental
* Indianapolis, Indiana - IND - Indianapolis International
* New York, New York - JFK - New York John F. Kennedy International
* Las Vegas, Nevada - LAS - Las Vegas McCarran International
* Los Angeles, California - LAX - Los Angeles International
* New York, New York - LGA - New York LaGuardia
* Orlando, Florida - MCO - Orlando International
* Chicago, Illinois - MDW - Chicago Midway
* Memphis, Tennessee - MEM - Memphis International
* Miami, Florida – MIA – Miami International
* Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota – MSP – Minneapolis/St. Paul International
* Oakland, California – OAK – Oakland International
* Ontario, California – ONT – Ontario International
* Chicago, Illinois – ORD – Chicago O'Hare International
* Portland, Oregon – PDX – Portland International
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – PHL – Philadelphia International
* Phoenix, Arizona – PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International
* San Diego, California – SAN – San Diego International
* Louisville, Kentucky – SDF – Louisville International
* Seattle, Washington – SEA – Seattle/Tacoma International
* San Francisco, California – SFO – San Francisco International
* Salt Lake City, Utah – SLC – Salt Lake City International
* Teterboro, New Jersey – TEB – Teterboro
* Tampa, Florida – TPA – Tampa International
Following a dip in corporate and leisure bookings in the first half of the year, US airlines had projected a period of steady demand this quarter. Yet, even as reduced capacity is expected to drive up airfares, the uncertainty caused by the shutdown may depress consumer travel spending. Passenger traffic declined in the first week of November from a year ago after rising in October, data from the US Transportation Security Administration showed.
Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu urged customers to "stick with their current travel plans" amid a drop in bookings. But even before the new flight cuts went into effect, customers said flight delays and cancellations were causing misery.
Delaware-based Grace Logeman, 40, drove two hours on Thursday to Newark, New Jersey 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," Logeman 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."
(Reuters)
Airlines can lessen the disruption by using bigger aircraft, a strategy they already employ to deal with congestion in New York-area airports. Still, passengers inundated carriers on social media platforms like X with questions and comments as they tried to clarify their travel plans. While sales of its "disruption assistance" service have risen steadily since the shutdown began on October 1, travel app Hopper reported an overnight jump of nearly 60per cent after the government announced flight cuts.
The FAA cited a safety assessment of air traffic controllers in ordering the unprecedented cuts, but officials insisted it is safe. "It's safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week," Duffy said. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford reiterated on Thursday 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 30per cent or more at some airports as the workers turn to second jobs to feed their families or are unable to afford childcare. Even before the shutdown, the FAA was already short 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 been delayed during the shutdown.
(Reuters)
In line with the federal directive, American will reduce its schedules by 4per cent 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 minimise customer impact, it said. Delta Air Lines announced the cancellation of about 170 US 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 4per cent 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.
(Reuters)
US airlines scrambled on Thursday to rejig schedules and field calls from anxious customers after the Trump administration ordered flight reductions at major airports due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the longest government shutdown in history. The cuts, set to begin on Friday, were expected to hit hundreds of thousands of travelers with little notice. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated the reductions would cancel up to 1,800 flights and cut 268,000 airline seats a day in the US International flights are not affected. The low-demand travel period made it easier for airlines to rebook passengers by cutting flight frequencies on some routes and using larger planes. Analysts predict the impact on earnings will be modest, provided the shutdown ends before the peak Thanksgiving travel period.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday ordered 10 per cent flight cuts to start on Friday at 40 major US airports, including in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, affecting both commercial and cargo services. The Federal Aviation Administration revised the plan and said late on Thursday airlines must cut 4per cent of domestic flights starting at 6 am EST (1100 GMT) on Friday daily through Monday, then ramping up to a full 10 per cent cut by November 14. The FAA is also restricting space launches but not requiring cuts to international flights. The FAA also warned it could reject specific cuts if they disproportionately impacted certain communities and could cut up to 10 per cent of general aviation flights at high-traffic airports if staffing issues arose.
Airlines face the challenge of adjusting flight schedules on short notice while minimizing the impact on passengers and crew members. In a memo to staff, American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour wrote: "You deserve the same level of certainty as our customers," and noted the carrier was trying its best to avoid disrupting the work schedules of its pilots and flight attendants. Major airlines proactively offered customers greater flexibility regarding their travel plans, a move reinforced by the Transportation Department confirming late on Thursday that passengers are entitled to a full refund. But it said airlines are not required to provide reimbursement for hotels or meals for cancellations since they are not at fault.
(Reuters)
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday ordered airlines to cut domestic flight operations by 4 per cent at 40 high-traffic airports starting at 6 am ET (1100 GMT) on Friday, citing safety concerns about air traffic control during the government shutdown.
Reuters first reported details of the plan, citing a draft order. The FAA said in the final order it is requiring 4 per cent cuts at 40 high-traffic airports through Monday before requiring them to cut 10 per cent starting Nov 14. The FAA is also imposing restrictions on space launches but not imposing any cuts on international flights.
(Reuters)
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