US Flight Cuts Begin at 40 Airports as Shutdown Leaves Air Traffic Controllers Unpaid

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across the United States on the first day of the biggest government-ordered cutback in American air travel in decades. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told airlines to cut flights at 40 of the country’s busiest airports, because the air traffic controllers who keep the skies safe have been working without pay for more than a month.

The order took effect on 7 November 2026. It is a direct result of the federal government shutdown, which is now the longest in American history. About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security screeners have worked without a paycheque since the shutdown began on 1 October. The FAA says the cuts are a safety measure: with controllers exhausted, calling in sick in growing numbers and taking second jobs to pay their bills, the system cannot safely handle its normal volume of flights.

For travellers, the message is simple. If you are flying inside the United States in the coming days, check your flight before you leave for the airport. The cuts are set to get deeper if the shutdown continues, and even if Congress reaches a deal tomorrow, the FAA has said normal service will not return at once.

At a glance

What happened: The FAA ordered airlines to cut domestic flights at 40 high-traffic airports, starting at 4 percent and rising to 10 percent by 14 November if the shutdown continues.

When it started: The order was announced on 5 November and took effect on 7 November, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time. International flights are not affected.

First-day impact: More than 1,000 flights were cancelled and more than 4,300 delayed across the United States on the first day, according to FlightAware.

Why it is happening: About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have worked without pay since 1 October, and have already missed one paycheque.

How long it could last: The limits stay in place for as long as the shutdown continues, and the FAA says service will not return to normal automatically even when funding is restored.

What the order says

The FAA announced the order on 5 November, at a news conference held by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. The agency said it would reduce air traffic by 10 percent across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety, as air traffic controllers show signs of strain during the shutdown.

The cuts are being introduced in steps, so that airlines and passengers have some time to adjust:

• 4 percent of domestic flights from 7 November
• 6 percent by 11 November
• 8 percent by 13 November
• 10 percent by 14 November

Each step applies only if the shutdown is still going on. The reductions apply to domestic flights at the 40 airports, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time. International flights are exempt, and all commercial airlines are covered.

Airlines choose which flights to cancel, and any airline that flies above its limit faces a fine of $75,000 for each extra flight.

The scale of the cut is striking. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates that at the full 10 percent reduction, about 1,800 flights and 268,000 airline seats would be cut every day. Bedford, the FAA administrator, was blunt about how unusual the step is: “I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures. We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.” Aviation industry publications have described the order as the first nationwide flight reduction of its kind since the period after the attacks of 11 September 2001.

Which airports are affected

The 40 airports on the FAA’s list span more than two dozen states and include the largest hubs in the country. The list, which was distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press, includes:

• Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the busiest airport in the world
• Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver
• Los Angeles and Charlotte
• Airports serving New York, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Miami, San Francisco and Orlando
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

In some of the biggest cities, such as New York, Houston and Chicago, more than one airport is affected. The effects reach further than the 40 names on the list: a cancelled flight out of Atlanta can strand a connecting passenger in a city that is not on the list at all, and delays at a busy hub ripple through the whole network.

The first day: more than 1,000 flights cancelled

The disruption was immediate. Airlines began cancelling flights on Thursday, in anticipation of the order, and the cancellations piled up through the first day.

FlightAware counted more than 1,000 cancelled flights and more than 4,300 delayed flights across the United States on 7 November. The numbers varied between counts during the day — one count put Friday cancellations at more than 815 — but every measure pointed the same way: the worst day of disruption since the shutdown began.

The pain was spread across the airlines. SkyWest cancelled 178 flights on the first day, more than any other carrier. Southwest cancelled 129. American and United cancelled roughly 80 to 100 each, and Delta cancelled about 170. American Airlines planned to cut about 220 flights a day through Monday.

Some of Friday’s disruption was caused by weather as well as by the order: thunderstorms halted flights at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports in New York on Friday morning. But the FAA’s cuts were the main driver, and the numbers are expected to grow as the reduction rises towards 10 percent.

Why the FAA acted: controllers working without pay

The reason for the cuts is simple, and it has nothing to do with the weather or with the airlines. It is about the people in the control towers.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security screeners have been working without pay since the federal government shutdown began on 1 October. Controllers have already missed one paycheque, and they were scheduled to receive nothing again on the next payday, on Tuesday.

Most controllers work mandatory overtime, six days a week. That leaves little time for second jobs — unless they call out of work. And that is what has been happening in growing numbers. Duffy has said some controllers are struggling even to pay for transport to get to work, and that while some can get by missing one paycheque, missing two or more is a different matter.

The FAA was already short of controllers before the shutdown began: about 3,500 fewer fully certified controllers than the agency says it needs. The shutdown has made a difficult staffing picture worse.

The strain is visible in the FAA’s own figures. An Associated Press analysis of operations plans found that at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits over the Friday-to-Sunday weekend, a figure that is likely an undercount. Before the shutdown, the average number of facilities reporting potential staffing problems on a weekend was 8.3. During the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, that average has more than tripled, to 26.2.

Duffy warned earlier in the week that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for controllers to miss their second full paycheque. At the same time, he insisted it was safe to fly, and would stay safe “because of the proactive actions we are taking.”

The longest shutdown in American history

The flight cuts are only the most visible effect of a shutdown that has now run longer than any before it. On 7 November, the shutdown reached its 38th day, passing the 35-day record set in 2018 and 2019. It is now in its 39th day, and there is still no agreement in Congress to end it.

A government shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass the laws that fund the government. Federal agencies must then stop all work that is not considered essential. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are sent home without pay, while others — such as air traffic controllers, airport screeners, soldiers and prison officers — must keep working without pay.

The shutdown began on 1 October. Since then, the two parties in Congress have not agreed on a deal to restore funding. The Trump administration has been pressing Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown, while the deadlock continues.

The effects go well beyond airports. Federal workers across the country have missed paycheques. National parks, museums and government offices have closed or cut back. Major airlines, aviation unions and the wider travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown. Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Association, said the shutdown is “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience.”

What it means for travellers

If you are flying in the United States in the coming days, there are practical steps worth taking now.

Check your flight before you travel. Airlines began notifying passengers about cancellations on Thursday, before the order took effect. Do not assume your flight is running. Check the airline’s website or app, and check again on the day of travel.

Turn on notifications. The American Automobile Association (AAA) has recommended that travellers download their airline’s app and turn on notifications, so they hear about a cancellation or a change as soon as it happens.

Know your refund rights. United and Delta have both said they will offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly, even on tickets that are not normally refundable. Other airlines have their own policies. Carriers are required to refund customers whose flights are cancelled, but they are not generally required to cover secondary costs such as food and hotel rooms, unless the delay or cancellation is caused by something within the airline’s control.

Expect the disruption to grow. The cuts rise from 4 percent to 6 percent on 11 November, to 8 percent on 13 November and to 10 percent on 14 November if the shutdown continues. At 10 percent, roughly 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats a day would be cut, according to Cirium.

Allow extra time. Even if your flight is not cancelled, delays are likely. Staffing shortages can also slow security screening, because 50,000 screeners are working without pay too.

What happens next

Three things will decide how bad this gets.

The first is Congress. The cuts are tied directly to the shutdown. If Congress agrees on funding, the legal reason for the order disappears — but the FAA has made clear that flights will not return to normal overnight. Staffing must first improve and stabilise.

The second is the controllers themselves. The next payday falls on Tuesday, when controllers are due to receive nothing for a second time. If more controllers call out sick, the staffing pressure will grow, and the FAA may have to deepen the cuts faster than planned.

The third is the calendar. The reductions are scheduled to reach 10 percent by 14 November, less than a week away, as the United States heads towards one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The Thanksgiving holiday, in the final week of November, is traditionally one of the biggest weeks for air travel in America, and a 10 percent cut during that week would strand far more people than the same cut does today.

For now, the picture is clear. The United States has ordered its airlines to fly less, not because there are too few planes or too few passengers, but because the people who guide the planes safely through the sky have not been paid for more than a month. Until Congress funds the government again, every day of the shutdown means fewer flights, longer waits and more cancelled trips.

Frequently asked questions

Which airports are affected by the US flight cuts?

Forty of the busiest airports in the United States, including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and airports serving New York, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Miami, San Francisco, Orlando and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The list covers more than two dozen states.

Are international flights affected?

No. The order covers domestic flights only, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time. International flights are exempt. But a passenger connecting through a US airport onto a domestic flight can still be affected.

How big are the cuts?

They start at 4 percent of domestic flights, rising to 6 percent by 11 November, 8 percent by 13 November and 10 percent by 14 November, if the shutdown continues. At 10 percent, about 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats a day would be cut, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

How many flights were cancelled on the first day?

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled and more than 4,300 were delayed across the United States on 7 November, according to FlightAware.

Why is the FAA cutting flights?

Because air traffic controllers are working without pay during the government shutdown. About 13,000 controllers and 50,000 security screeners have not been paid since 1 October. More controllers are calling out sick, and the FAA says it must reduce traffic to keep flying safe.

How long is the shutdown?

It began on 1 October 2026 and is now in its 39th day, making it the longest federal government shutdown in American history. The previous record was 35 days, set in 2018 and 2019.

Will flights return to normal when the shutdown ends?

Not immediately. The FAA has said it would not automatically resume normal operations even if the shutdown ends, until staffing improves and stabilises.

Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled?

Yes. Airlines must refund passengers whose flights are cancelled. United and Delta have also said they will offer refunds to passengers who choose not to fly, even on tickets that are not normally refundable.

Conclusion

The flight cuts at 40 American airports are the clearest sign yet that the longest government shutdown in US history is no longer an argument in Washington. It is now a practical problem for millions of travellers.

The FAA did not order the cuts because flying has become unsafe. It ordered them to keep flying safe — by reducing the load on controllers who have worked for more than a month without pay, on six-day weeks, in a system that was already thousands of controllers short.

The numbers tell the story plainly: more than 1,000 flights cancelled on the first day, a cut rising to 10 percent within a week, and a shutdown with no end in sight. For passengers, the advice is simple: check your flight, turn on notifications, and be ready for change. For Congress, the pressure is growing with every cancelled flight.

Sources

• The Associated Press, “40 Airports Will See Flight Reductions, Including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago Due To Federal Shutdown”, 6 November 2026: https://www.air1.com/faith/news/trending/40-airports-will-see-flight-reductions-including-new-york-los-angeles-chicago-due-to-federal-shutdown-57027
• The Associated Press (via Pioneer Press), “Flight cuts begin today”, 7 November 2026: https://edition.pagesuite.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=8933d94b-6be4-49be-afda-b630e297c967
• Reuters, “Factbox: Which airports are affected by forced US flight reductions?”, November 2026, via Glance: https://trends.glance.com/story/articles/Business/US/en/reuter/s-659d895289-ab071773-08cd-5cf8-977c-d4f7f9ea9f54
• FlightAware cancellation and delay figures for 7 November 2026, as reported by US News Pulse: https://usnewspulse.com/us-news/faa-flight-cuts-begin-at-40-airports-as-longest-shutdown-reaches-day-38
• NationWire, “FAA Orders Flight Cuts at 40 Airports in Shutdown”, 6 November 2026: https://nationwire.us/faa-orders-flight-cuts-40-airports-shutdown/
• FL360aero, “First time after 9/11, 40 Airports Impacted as US Flight Cuts Begin Today”, 7 November 2026: https://fl360aero.com/detail/first-time-after-9-11-40-airports-impacted-as-us-flight-cuts-begin-today/2224

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.