Brace for more shutdown travel pain as FAA cuts flights ahead of Thanksgiving
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Flights at many major U.S. airports will be cut 10% in the coming days amid air traffic controller shortages linked to the longest-ever government shutdown — and more cuts could follow as Thanksgiving nears.
Why it matters: The unusual measure comes as air traffic controllers go unpaid and staffing shortages plague FAA facilities nationwide, triggering slowdowns at airports coast to coast.
Driving the news: The list of affected airports hasn't been finalized as of Thursday afternoon, but is expected to include essentially all of the busiest U.S. airfields.
- Officials at Boston Logan, Dulles International, Washington National, Seattle–Tacoma International, Charlotte Douglas International, San Diego International, George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby Airport have independently confirmed those airfields are included.
- The cuts may start at 4% Friday before ramping up to 10% over the following few days if the shutdown continues, per CNN.
The big picture: A 10% reduction translates to dozens of flights at the country's busiest airports, per data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, affecting thousands of travelers daily at each airport.
- Cuts at major airports could also affect travelers elsewhere, depending on how they're implemented.
- Air traffic controllers' second $0 paycheck in a row arrives next week; they've been working without pay since Oct. 1.
- "Controllers are resigning every day now because of the prolonged nature of the shutdown," Nick Daniels, president of controller union NATCA, told CNN Thursday.
What they're saying: At a Wednesday press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA administrator Bryan Bedford framed the cuts as a way to preserve safety while still launching as many flights as possible.
- "We're not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said.
Behind the scenes: The FAA has been working with airlines on how to actually implement the cuts, which are meant to relieve pressure on controllers.
- That's a balancing act given the many different users of the national airspace system: passenger airlines, cargo haulers, business jets, small private planes, etc.
The latest: United, American and Delta say they're trying to make the requested cuts while minimizing disruptions — by axing flights at periphery airports, for example.
- "United's long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement.
- "Instead, we will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs."
The other side: One air traffic controller, speaking to Axios anonymously for fear of employer retribution, told Axios that 10% cuts won't make a major difference from their perspective.
- "I don't know this, but it feels more like a political move to get the public to feel more impacted" by the shutdown, the controller said.
Flashback: Flight delays and cancellations had an under-appreciated role in ending the last major shutdown, back in 2018-19 during President Trump's first term.
- Yes, but: The current record-setting shutdown shows no signs of ending any time soon.
What's next: More cuts could follow if the FAA deems them necessary, potentially affecting Thanksgiving travel later this month.
- "If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we'll come back and take additional measures," Bedford said Wednesday.
Go deeper: What to do if your flight is canceled amid the shutdown
