US Warns of Major Flight Reductions as Government Shutdown Drags On

Thu Nov 06 2025 14:38:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

With the ongoing government shutdown, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces a significant decline in air travel capacity at major US airports, citing increased fatigue among air traffic controllers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has issued a warning that air travel capacity will decrease by up to 10% at 40 major US airports starting this weekend if the government shutdown continues. The decision is primarily due to fatigue among air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay during the longest shutdown in US history. The situation is expected to lead to the cancellation of thousands of flights daily. Officials are urging Congress to resolve the impasse to restore full capacity to the National Airspace System.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned there will be a 10% reduction in air travel capacity at 40 major airports in the US starting Friday morning, if the government shutdown continues.

The decision was made because air traffic controllers have been reporting issues with fatigue, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said at a briefing with Duffy on Wednesday.

It is unusual, just as the shutdown is unusual, just as the fact that our controllers haven't been paid for a month is unusual, said FAA chief Bryan Bedford.

During the shutdown, now the longest in US history, controllers have had to keep working without pay, prompting some to call out sick or take side jobs.

The flight reductions will be gradual, starting at 4% of domestic flights on Friday, then rising to 5% on Saturday and 6% on Sunday, before hitting the full 10% next week, Reuters reported after the announcement, citing four unnamed sources.

The names of the affected airports - all high-traffic locations - will be released on Thursday, the officials said.

The cancellations could affect between 3,500 and 4,000 flights per day. We are seeing pressures build in a way that we don't feel - if we allow it to go unchecked - will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world, Bedford said.

Duffy said air travel is still safe, and the decision to cancel the flights was being made to maintain safety and efficiency. If the shutdown continues and adds more pressure to the system, additional restrictive measures may be required, Bedford said.

A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the fourth-largest carrier in North America, said the company is still evaluating how the flight restrictions will affect its services.

Once government funds ran out on 1 October, most federal workers were sent home and told they would be paid once the government reopened. Those deemed essential, like controllers, though, had to keep doing their jobs without pay.

Almost immediately after the shutdown started, airports began feeling the effects. Some had to ground flights for hours after air traffic controllers called out sick, while others relied on controllers from other airports.

Nick Daniels, the president of the labor union representing more than 20,000 aviation workers, described the situation starkly, stating that air traffic controllers are facing significant financial hardships.