Air traffic staffing shortages disrupt thousands of flights while FAA-mandated cancellations to worsen next week if shutdown continues

Nearly 7,000 U.S. flights were delayed and much than 2,000 were canceled connected Saturday amid across-the-country aerial postulation controller staffing shortages, and the country's airlines volition person to chopped hundreds more flights adjacent week if Congress can't travel to a solution to extremity the government shutdown — present the longest successful U.S. history.

Trump medication officials this week ordered airlines to commencement cutting flights at 40 engaged U.S. airports on Friday, blaming "increased reports of strain connected the strategy from some pilots and aerial postulation controllers" successful ample portion owed to the shutdown.

Late Friday, Senate Republicans rejected a Democrat connection to reopen the government.

"Due to the prolonged authorities shutdown and nationwide aerial postulation power staffing shortages, we, similar astir airlines, are experiencing further and wide delays and cancellations crossed the state contiguous contempt the precocious cancellations that the FAA required america to make," American Airlines said successful a connection Saturday. "We, again, impulse leaders successful Washington, D.C., to scope an contiguous solution to extremity the shutdown."

Air postulation controllers, on with airdrome information screeners, are required to enactment during the shutdown without receiving their regular paychecks. Federal workers volition miss their 2nd afloat paycheck connected Monday, according to their union. Some controllers person taken 2nd jobs to marque ends meet, national officials person said.

Almost 2,200 U.S. flights were canceled connected Saturday arsenic of 9:30 p.m. ET, astir 7% of the day's schedule, according to aviation-data steadfast Cirium. Around a 3rd of that fig were canceled aboriginal successful the day, connected par with a time of terrible thunderstorms, which tin beryllium disruptive, though they're routine. Cirium said Friday ranked arsenic the 72nd worst for cancellations since Jan. 1, 2024.

Under the FAA's order, the formation cuts volition summation to 6% of schedules, 8% by Thursday and 10% adjacent Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News connected Friday that cuts could yet scope up to 20% of schedules, though helium didn't elaborate. Airlines weren't required to chopped planetary flights.

The disruptions are occurring astatine a mostly debased question season, but the cardinal Thanksgiving vacation play is little than 3 weeks away. The interaction for airlines could quadruple fixed however fares during that high-demand play spike, Seaport Research Partners hose expert Daniel McKenzie said successful a enactment connected Friday.

Airlines this week waived date-change fees for travelers connected affected flights and noted they tin besides petition a refund. Airline executives stated that galore customers were being rebooked connected alternate flights, portion last-minute changes sent others scrambling for different arrangements. Hertz, for example, stated connected Thursday that, erstwhile the FAA made its flight-cut announcement, one-way car rentals accrued by 20% implicit the aforesaid two-day play a twelvemonth earlier.

Delays roseate passim the time Saturday, with much than 6,700 late-arriving U.S. flights, according to FlightAware. Air postulation power staffing shortages prompted delays astatine large airports including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport successful New York, Newark Liberty International Airport successful New Jersey, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Here are the airports wherever the FAA and DOT cuts apply: