FAA to cut a tenth of flights starting Friday due to shutdown

Valerie Yurk, CQ-Roll Call on Nov 5, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration will cut flights by 10 percent at 40 high-traffic airports starting Friday due to constraints on the air traffic control workforce caused by the partial government shutdown.

Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the move “proactive,” citing agency data that found fatigue among air traffic controllers. They said the national airspace is still as safe as it was before the shutdown.

“It’s going to lead to more cancellations,” Duffy said at a press conference. “We’re going to work with the airlines to do this in a systematic way.”

Bedford said airports impacted by the flight cuts will be announced Thursday, adding the FAA is still working with airlines to prevent disproportionate impact on companies or routes. The airports affected will be in locations that feel the most pressure on controllers, he said.

“If you remember, with the DCA air crash, a lot of you asked us questions, ‘Why didn’t the FAA see that there were near misses in the airspace’ … and I think that was a great question, we learned from that,” Duffy said, referring to the fatal January midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “So now we look at data, and before it would become an issue, we assess the pressure and we try to make moves before there could be adverse consequences.”

The partial government shutdown that started Oct. 1 has become the longest in history.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Republican senators to end a key Senate rule so the party can pass bills with a simple majority. The rule requires 60 Senate votes to pass most legislation. The president dismissed reports that Senate Democrats are moving toward an agreement to reopen the government.

According to the FAA, the air traffic controllers handle more than 44,000 flights daily, meaning the cuts would impact over 4,000 flights as the shutdown continues.

“This was not taken lightly. There was a lot of effort put into this,” Duffy said. “If the data goes in the wrong direction, could you see additional restrictions? Yes, It will be data driven, safety driven.”

The FAA lists Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the nation’s busiest with more 52 million passenger boardings in 2024 followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International with more than 42 million and Denver International with 40 million.

The FAA will also limit commercial space launches to certain times of day because they require a lot of attention from controllers.

Air traffic controllers missed their first paycheck a week ago. Duffy also warned last week that the shutdown has impacted aid to air traffic control students, which could make it difficult to meet hiring goals.

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