More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration directed reductions to ease the strain on air traffic controllers working without pay amid a federal government shutdown.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that 40 major airports, including those in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, were affected. The cuts began gradually, starting with a 4% reduction in flights, and were expected to increase to 10% next week if Congress failed to reach a funding deal.
UNITED STATES: Over 1,000 flights were cancelled today due to government shutdown
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) November 8, 2025
The shutdown that’s now stretching close to six weeks started on October 1 after a political fight between Republicans and Democrats over health insurance subsidies caused government funding to lapse.
Long Flight Delays
The situation left thousands of travelers stranded as government workers, including key airport staff, continued to work without pay or were placed on forced leave. According to FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled.
The hardest-hit airports included Reagan National in Washington, Denver International, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The FAA said passengers at Reagan National were facing average delays of four hours, while Phoenix saw 90-minute waits and Chicago and San Francisco reported one-hour delays.
“This is frustrating. We don’t need to be in this position,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom while speaking to the media.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown, saying, “If Democrats are going to go home this weekend, and they’ve kept the government shut down, that’s shameful.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump urged senators to stay in Washington until an agreement was reached to reopen the government. “Republicans controlled Congress,” as per the sources, “but Democrats had stated that they would refuse to support the majority party’s budget plans, including proposed healthcare cuts.”
Trump Administration Warns Of Deeper Cuts
The situation could worsen if the shutdown continues. According to the sources, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that airlines could be forced to cut up to 20% of flights if a funding deal isn’t reached soon.
The FAA had already instructed airlines to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports on Friday, with plans to raise that number to 10% by November 14. The cuts began at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) and affected around 700 flights operated by American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United.
Duffy said the decision was made for safety reasons, citing “data showing incidents of planes failing to maintain separation and ground incursions.”
On Friday, absences among air traffic controllers caused hundreds of flight delays at airports in Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, DC, and Newark. By 7:30 p.m. ET (1130 GMT), more than 5,300 flights had been delayed, according to FlightAware.
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