Beginning Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration will begin cutting the number of flights in the “high traffic” parts of the country as the government shutdown grinds on and local airports have reported staffing shortages, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said 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.”
There may be flight delays or cancellations. Our top priority is that when Americans fly, they will make it to their destination safely because @USDOT and the @FAANews have done their work. pic.twitter.com/1uDsFr5HDL
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 5, 2025
This is the second month of the shutdown and there are massive delays.
More than 5,000 flights traveling from and to U.S. airports were delayed Sunday alone. The shutdown has meant that essential workers, including air traffic controllers, have been working without pay. That has led to a shortage of anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 controllers, Duffy has previously said.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is not waiting for the situation to get worse. “We can’t ignore it,” he said.
Thank AOC, Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries.
