The Trump administration is outlining how it will scale back air traffic across every major airport as the ongoing government shutdown increasingly strains the federal workforce.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be trimming air traffic through a piecemeal approach, with a 4% reduction beginning Friday, increasing to 6% by Tuesday, 8% by Nov. 13 and capping off at 10% by Nov. 14, according to an emergency order released by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The drastic action is being taken as air traffic controllers and other federal employees continue to work without pay. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ICE Nabs Nearly 100 Illegal Migrant Truckers As Admin Cracks Down On Industry)
“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety,” DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said in a public statement. “This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay.”
“It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Duffy continued.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 23: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy during a press conference on air traffic controller pay and the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The shutdown enters its fourth week, becoming the second longest government shutdown in history. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)
In addition to flight reductions, the FAA will also limit commercial space launches to non-peak hours and prohibit parachute operations and photo missions around facilities with a staffing trigger, according to the emergency order. Airlines will be mandated to provide full refunds to those affected, but will not be required to issue secondary costs.
The emergency order does not require reductions in international flights, but airline companies may use their discretion to decide which flights are nixed to reach their reduction goals.
Duffy first announced the large-scale reductions on Wednesday, saying that many air traffic controllers are resorting to side gigs as they continue to go without pay. The DOT secretary said 10% reductions in air traffic across 40 major U.S. airports would be mandated in order to relieve pressure from the uncompensated federal workers.
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a public statement about the emergency order. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”
Democrats and Republicans in Congress remain deadlocked on a federal funding compromise, with the issue largely revolving around healthcare subsidies within Obamacare and coverage for illegal migrants. The federal shutdown entered its 36th day on Wednesday, officially making it the longest shutdown in the country’s history — leaving air traffic controllers unpaid since Oct. 1.
The reductions could represent as many as 1,8000 flights and up to 268,000 seats combined, according to aviation analytics data obtained by the Associated Press.
The 40 airports to see flight cuts are the following:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
BOS – Boston Logan International Airport
BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport
CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Field
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
DEN – Denver International Airport
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport
FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
HNL – Honolulu International Airport
HOU – William P. Hobby Airport
IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
IND – Indianapolis International Airport
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
MCO – Orlando International Airport
MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport
MEM – Memphis International Airport
MIA – Miami International Airport
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
OAK – Oakland International Airport
ONT – Ontario International Airport
ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport
PDX – Portland International Airport
PHL – Philadelphia International Airport
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
SAN – San Diego International Airport
SDF – Louisville International Airport
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
SFO – San Francisco International Airport
SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport
TEB – Teterboro Airport
TPA – Tampa International Airport
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