US airlines began cancelling hundreds of flights on Thursday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a reduction in air traffic at the country’s busiest airports starting Friday amid the ongoing government shutdown.
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, over 760 flights scheduled for Friday were removed from airline timetables—four times higher than Thursday’s total—with the number expected to rise further, reports AP/UNB.
The FAA’s order covers 40 major airports across more than two dozen states, including key hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina. Multiple airports in metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, Houston and Washington will also face restrictions.
In an order published Thursday evening, the FAA said flight operations would be reduced by 4% on Friday and gradually reach 10% by November 14. The cuts, effective between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, will apply to all commercial carriers.
The agency said the measure was necessary to ensure air travel safety as air traffic controllers face fatigue and staffing shortages caused by the shutdown. The move also comes amid increasing political pressure from the Trump administration on Congress to resolve the standoff.
“With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned about maintaining the current volume of operations,” the order stated.
Airlines rushed to adjust schedules before the restrictions took effect. American Airlines said it trimmed its operations at the affected airports by 4% from Friday through Monday—around 220 flights a day—and would increase reductions to meet the 10% target. Its international services, however, will remain unaffected.
Passengers with weekend and upcoming travel plans waited anxiously for updates, while some began changing or cancelling their bookings in anticipation of disruptions.
