FAA To Cut Flights Nationwide Amid Shutdown And Staffing Shortages

The Federal Aviation Administration will begin reducing flights in several high-traffic areas across the country as the ongoing government shutdown worsens staffing shortages, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday.

“There is going to be a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” Duffy said. “This is about where’s the pressure and how do we alleviate the pressure.”

The cuts are scheduled to begin Friday, Duffy added.

The move comes as the government shutdown enters its second month, following a weekend marked by widespread flight delays at dozens of U.S. airports.

On Sunday alone, more than 5,000 flights across the country were delayed, while the Transportation Security Administration reported screening nearly 2.7 million travelers nationwide.

By Monday evening, 2,885 flights were delayed and 70 were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Major airports including , Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, Chicago O’Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta faced the worst disruptions, with over 900 delays and 35 cancellations among them.

The following day, delays dipped slightly to 2,133, but cancellations climbed to 148, the site reported.

The prolonged shutdown has forced thousands of essential personnel, including air traffic controllers, to work without pay, contributing to a shortage of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 controllers, Duffy has previously said.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is acting before the situation deteriorates further. “We can’t ignore it,” he told NBC.