The Trump administration is warning that the nation’s air travel system could take a major hit starting Friday if Washington can’t break the gridlock over the government shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration will “reduce flights at dozens of major airports as early as Friday if no shutdown deal is reached.” The plan calls for a 10% cut in air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports in the country — a move that could strand thousands of travelers and send ripple effects across an already strained system.
The list of airports likely to be affected reads like a who’s who of American aviation. According to an FAA source who spoke to CNN, the “core 30” airports — including New York City’s trio of JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, plus Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, and Seattle — are all on the preliminary list for potential reductions.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford described the move as targeted but unavoidable. “As we start to implement this drawdown in service. It will be restricted to these 40 high volume traffic markets,” he said. “We’re going to ask the airlines to work with us collaboratively to reduce their schedules.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. Air traffic controllers — who are working without pay as the shutdown drags on — are burning out. They’re missing paychecks, taking second jobs, and in some cases calling in sick in protest. Flight delays have been climbing nationwide.
Transportation Secretary Duffy said the situation has reached a breaking point. “We have asked (air traffic controllers) to show up for work, but I’m not naive to understand that they’re trying to figure out how they meet their daily obligations,” he said. “Because of that, we have seen staffing pressures throughout our airspace. Those who travel will see that we’ve had more delays. We’ve had more cancelations.”
More than 400 staffing shortages have been reported at FAA facilities since the shutdown began — four times higher than the same period last year, according to a CNN analysis.
Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, backed the move despite the fallout. “Pressures are building in the system,” she posted on X. “[Duffy] can’t just ignore it; he took action to mitigate risk and ensure safety. THIS is safety management, the very foundation of our aviation system, and it’s the right thing to do.”
Still, the announcement blindsided the airline industry. Carriers were reportedly notified just an hour before Duffy’s press conference. “We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers,” Airlines for America, the main industry trade group, said in a statement.
Bedford added that the cuts won’t just affect commercial flights — they’ll also extend to space launches and small aircraft operations in some markets. “I want to applaud the controllers who continue to come to work on a daily basis keeping our system safe,” he said. “But I also want to recognize the fact that the data is telling us we need to do more.”
Major airlines are still assessing how deep the pain might go. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told employees that the company’s “long-haul international flying” and “hub-to-hub flying” would be protected, with cuts likely focused on smaller domestic routes. “That’s important to maintain the integrity of our network, give impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trip, and sustain our crew pairing systems,” he wrote.
Frontier Airlines was far blunter. CEO Barry Biffle told customers to brace for chaos. “If your flight is cancelled your chances of being stranded are high so I would simply have a backup ticket on another airline,” he warned. “I’m sorry this is happening. Hopefully the shutdown is over soon.”
Southwest urged Congress to “immediately resolve its impasse,” while Delta and American Airlines downplayed the impact but said they were monitoring the situation closely.
As of Thursday, there was still no sign of a deal in Washington. And if one doesn’t come soon, travelers could be facing a grim new reality by the weekend — fewer flights, longer lines, and a stark reminder of what happens when politics grounds the nation’s aviation system.
