FAA flight cuts to reduce capacity at 40 key airports could come as early as Friday, marking the first such preemptive capacity cut. Officials say the move is necessary to maintain security amid a driver shortage intensified by the ongoing government shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will impose a 10% reduction in flight capacity at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports beginning Friday, Nov. 7, unless Congress ends the federal government shutdown, now in its 36th day, the longest in U.S. history.
The measure is designed to protect safety amid a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, which has been exacerbated by unpaid essential workers. While unprecedented, the planned capping is a rare system-wide intervention that will reshape departure queues, arrival flows and banking centers for days, or longer.
Beginning Friday morning, if the shutdown has not ended, the FAA will implement a systemic ten percent reduction in flight operations at forty of the nation’s busiest airports.
United States Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy
“Beginning Friday morning, if the shutdown is not over, the FAA will implement a systematic ten percent reduction in flight operations at forty of the nation’s busiest airports,” Duffy told reporters at a news conference on Nov. 5, 2025.
He added that the objective of the action is to reduce risk in the National Airspace System by keeping flights as safe and predictable as possible.
The FAA will release the final list of airports on Thursday afternoon, November 6. Most Core 30 and OEP centers (JFK, EWR, LGA, ATL, ORD, DFW, IAH, MIA, LAX, SFO, DEN, and others) are expected to be included, especially those with documented staffing gaps of 2,000 to 3,000 controllers nationwide.
How the cuts will work
While this is not a blanket cancellation or ground stop, the FAA will use established traffic management tools to distribute the reduction:
- Ground Delay Programs (PIB) with extended planned departure clearance times (EDCT)
- Miles on the road (MIT) spacing of departures into busy airspace
- Airspace Flow Programs (AFP) to measure traffic on key ARTCCs such as ZNY (New York) and ZJX (Jacksonville)
- Collaborative space settings with airlines under the Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) process
The result will be approximately 4,000 fewer flights per day, equivalent to the combined volume of a peak day in Atlanta and Dallas. Airlines are already adjusting schedules, parking planes and issuing travel waivers.
FAA flight cuts necessary for safety
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since October 1. No-show rates rose as high as 80% at some facilities on October 31, including New York TRACON (N90), resulting in more than 6,200 delayed flights and 500 cancellations.
Additionally, FAA data shows that nearly half of Tuesday’s delays were due to staffing issues, not weather or volume.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Nick Daniels highlighted the cost of the closure, noting that controllers face “immense stress and fatigue” due to overtime pay and financial hardship, making prolonged operations in the world’s busiest airspace unsustainable.
“Asking [air traffic controllers] Going without a full month’s salary or more is simply not sustainable,” Daniels said in a Nov. 1 NATCA news release.
The FAA has imposed mandatory rest periods, removed personnel from quieter towers to plug gaps, and issued temporary ground shutdowns, including most recently in Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH). However, modeling now indicates that separation risk thresholds are being exceeded in high-density sectors, prompting the 10% reduction as a preventive safety measure.
Impact on centers and operations
- New York Subway: Expect heavy MIT restrictions, possible rotating ground stops, and detours around ZNY/ZBW airspace.
- Florida/Gulf Coast: ZJX has been in flow control for days; Look for coastal detours that push traffic over the water.
- Main centers: Closely spaced parallel Atlanta operations may suspend LAHSO (land and hold short) to maintain safety reserves.
These actions will likely result in longer taxi waits, compressed departures, and empty gates during peak times. LiveATC Listeners can monitor approach frequencies on N90, A80 (Atlanta), and D10 (Dallas) to detect impacts in real time.
Passengers should check the status of their flights early and frequently. The FAA Command Center will issue daily updates and tools such as conscious flight and flight radar24 will show the PIBs and EDCT wheels in action.
A perfect storm
The current closure is due to a budget impasse in Washington that has left several federal agencies, including the FAA, without full funding. Lawmakers have not yet reached an agreement and no vote on reopening the government is currently planned.
Previous shutdowns have affected aviation operations, including the 2018-2019 gap that disrupted TSA and FAA staffing. However, this is the first time the agency has announced preventive nationwide capacity reductions to preserve safety.
The long-standing shortage of air traffic controllers, highlighted in a 2023 Government Accountability Office report, has compounded the challenge and left the system increasingly fragile during prolonged funding shortfalls.
Next steps
- Thursday 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time: The list of airports and the initial TMI manual are published.
- Friday 0001 local: First EDCTs issued; Look at the ZNY transfers for the initial wave.
- If there is no agreement before day 40 (November 9): Duffy warned of possible airspace closures or widespread ground shutdowns.
Notably, the NAS has never been deliberately reduced due to congressional gridlock. Safety remains the FAA’s top priority. However, with each unpaid shift, the margin becomes increasingly narrower.
While warnings of “mass chaos” within the NAS have circulated online, the reality is that on Friday there will be a controlled and visible contraction of the system.
Still, it’s unfortunate that it had to come to this. Let’s hope the stalemate in Washington ends sooner rather than later.
