The federal government’s ongoing shutdown has triggered a dramatic response from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which announced a plan to reduce air traffic by 10 percent across 40 major airports starting Friday.
According to the agency, the cuts are needed due to mounting staffing pressures—especially among air-traffic controllers who have gone unpaid since the shutdown began and in some cases have already missed a second paycheck. Towers in multiple locations are reported to have operated with diminished crews, prompting safety concerns for the national airspace.
The reduction will affect commercial flights, cargo operations, private aircraft and even certain space-related launches, though international routes are initially exempt. Analysts estimate the move could cancel up to 1,800 flights and remove as many as 268,000 seats from upcoming schedules.
Transit officials noted that no final list of impacted airports has been released yet, but the nation’s busiest hubs—such as those in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles—are widely expected to feel the pinch. Airlines are now scrambling to adjust schedules on very short notice, raising concerns about missed connections and mounting traveler disruptions.
In announcing the cuts, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated the decision is “proactive” and rooted in safety considerations as opposed to simply being a budgetary move. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford also emphasized that the agency is acting to avoid what he described as the “kind of chaos we cannot allow in our aviation system.”
Industry insiders warn that if the shutdown continues, further reductions or even temporary air-space closures could be on the table—posing a major challenge for travelers during what is traditionally a busy season. Airlines are also calling on Congress to resolve the funding impasse quickly to avoid deeper disruptions ahead.