November 6, 2025
The announcement comes just days after Duffy highlighted the lack of air traffic controllers on the job.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says 10% of flights at 40 of America’s busiest airports will be reduced by Nov. 7 if the longest government shutdown in history carries on, CNN reports.
At a Nov. 5 news conference, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the movie could put travelers at risk of having to cancel travel plans.
“As we start to implement this drawdown in service. It will be restricted to these 40 high-volume traffic markets,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “We’re going to ask the airlines to work with us collaboratively to reduce their schedules.”
The announcement comes just days after Duffy highlighted the lack of air traffic controllers on the job due to unpaid wages, putting airspace safety at risk. He touched on the possibility of having to limit airspace if the shutdown continues. Close to 50% of major air traffic control facilities are experiencing staffing shortages. The FAA said 80% of its New York-area staff called out on Halloween.
Affected airports include the “core 30,” including New York City’s big three—LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark—and major airports in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
“Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible,” Bedford said, according to ABC News. “Reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations. This is not based on light airline travel locations This is about where the pressure is and how to really deviate the pressure.”
As travelers stressed, industry experts celebrated the decision on social media. On X, National Transportation Safety Board Chairperson Jennifer Homendy supported the move.
“THIS is safety management, the very foundation of our aviation system, and it’s the right thing to do,” she wrote.
While White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is aware of the FAA restrictions, he has yet to speak on the matter as Republicans and Democrats continue to blame each other for the shutdown.
Bedford said in his 35-year career, he has never seen such an unprecedented move by the FAA and DOT. Though there is “no perfect solution,” he said, it’s the best way to guarantee safety.
“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, you know, things from deteriorating,” he continued. “So the system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow.”
RELATED CONTENT: Atlanta Leaders Declare Food Emergency, Halts Water Shutoffs Amid Federal SNAP Threat
