Air travellers across the United States are facing widespread disruptions following a federal directive ordering airlines to slash flights at dozens of major airports amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has now become the longest in the country’s history.
The Trump administration on Friday directed airlines to reduce flights by 4 per cent initially, with a gradual rise to 10 per cent next week, citing safety concerns caused by severe staff shortages across key aviation departments. The affected airports include some of the nation’s busiest — Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the directive was issued to “alleviate building risks in the system” rather than to exert political pressure. “This isn’t about politics; it’s about assessing the data and preventing a safety breakdown,” Duffy explained, responding to critics who claimed the administration was using the crisis as leverage in the budget standoff.
According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, more than 800 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled, while American Airlines confirmed about 220 daily cancellations under the new policy. Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines also reported hundreds of cancellations as passengers faced extended delays and overcrowded terminals.
Okay News reports that the ongoing shutdown, which began on October 1, entered its sixth week on Friday, surpassing the 35-day record set during President Trump’s first term. The political impasse between the White House and Congress over federal spending has forced over 1.4 million federal employees, including air traffic controllers and airport security staff, to work without pay or stay home on enforced leave.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency decided to act pre-emptively before any potential safety incident. “We’re not going to wait for a problem to manifest when the indicators are telling us to act now,” Bedford explained.
The crisis deepened just weeks ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States. Experts warn that the situation could lead to nationwide travel chaos if the shutdown continues.
Duffy, however, maintained that the skies remain safe. “It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after, because of the proactive actions we are taking,” he wrote on social media Thursday night.
Both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines said they are complying with the federal order but assured that their international and hub-to-hub routes would not be affected. Most cancellations, they noted, will target smaller domestic routes to balance flight operations.
The U.S. government shutdown has paralyzed several agencies, leaving critical sectors such as national parks, immigration services, and transportation management at a near standstill. FAA staff and Transportation Security Administration personnel have reportedly been working overtime or seeking temporary jobs to sustain themselves.
Bedford described the situation as “unprecedented in modern aviation history.” He stated, “In my 35 years in aviation, I have never seen such drastic measures. But again, we are in new territory when it comes to government shutdowns.”
