A traveler moves in view of a control tower at Philadelphia International Airport on Nov. 5. (Matt Rourke/AP)
November 6, 2025 10:31 AM, EST
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Airports in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago along with hubs across the U.S. are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Nov. 7 due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Nov. 5 that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.
The airports impacted cover the busiest across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.
The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown. The agency has already been delaying flights at times when airports or other FAA facilities are short on controllers.
More air traffic controllers have been calling out of work as the shutdown drags on and the financial pressure on them mounts. Controllers already missed one paycheck, and they are scheduled to again receive nothing on the Nov. 11 payday.
Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on travelers. United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s.
Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations Nov. 6. The AAA recommended that travelers download their airline’s app and turn on notifications. United Airlines and Delta Air LInes both said they will offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly — even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.
During weekends from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.
Associated Press journalist Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, N.M.
