U.S. to reduce flight capacity by 10% due to longest govt. shutdown
INTERNATIONAL – USA
7 NOVEMBER 2025
- United States officials said the scheduled capacity for flights would be cut by 10% in 40 busy air traffic areas nationwide on Friday as the longest government shutdown drags on.
- Federal agencies have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, with some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, still on enforced leave or working without pay.
- “There is going to be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a White House news briefing on Wednesday, adding that the cuts would come into effect on Friday.
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford said the reductions would be at “40 high traffic environment markets”.
- The official list of affected airports is expected to be published later on Thursday but, according to U.S. media outlets, flights will be reduced at some of the busiest airports in the nation, including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Washington.
- International flights would not be affected by this measure, a source speaking on condition of anonymity told ABC News.
- Flight reductions will begin at 4% on Friday and gradually reach 10%, media outlets reported.
- Primary concern
- The government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history on Wednesday, eclipsing the 35-day record set during President Donald Trump’s first term. Airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay — which led to significant delays — was a major factor in Mr. Trump bringing an end to that 2019 shutdown.
- However, Democrats and Republicans have both remained unwavering over the main sticking point in the shutdown: health care spending.
- Democrats say they will only provide votes to end the funding lapse after a deal has been struck to extend expiring insurance subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans.
- Republicans insist they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to switch the lights back on in Washington.
- Mr. Trump has sought to apply his own pressure to force Democrats to cave by threatening mass layoffs of federal workers and using the shutdown to target progressive priorities.