Driving the news:
The move comes amid a growing shortage of air traffic controllers—working without pay during the record U.S. government shutdown—which is beginning to threaten aviation safety. Hundreds of flights across the United States were canceled Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a temporary 10% cut in air traffic at the nation’s 40 busiest airports.
Between the lines:
The FAA employs about 14,000 controllers, part of the 730,000 essential federal workers still on the job without pay. Another 670,000 employees remain furloughed.
More than 790 flights were canceled Friday — four times the total number on Thursday — and nearly 500 more have already been scrapped for Saturday, according to tracking website FlightAware.
State of play:
The FAA said it was forced to act after a surge in absences among unpaid air traffic controllers led to 2,740 flight delays over the past weekend.
“Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay,” the FAA order stated. “This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers.”
What he is saying:
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the move as a “proactive safety decision,” denying that it was politically motivated.
“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics—it’s about assessing the data and alleviating growing risks in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,” Duffy said. “It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”
The big picture:
The flight cuts add to the growing economic and social fallout of the 38-day-long shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—as Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over a stalled funding bill in Congress.
Context:
The FAA’s phased cuts will reduce traffic by 4% on Friday, gradually reaching 10% by November 14, the agency said. Major affected airports include Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare, and New York’s JFK. The order exempts international flights, leaving that decision to individual airlines.
Go deeper:
The FAA’s decision is likely to increase pressure on Senate Democrats, who are blocking a spending bill over disputes on healthcare funding—even as airlines, passengers, and the tourism industry brace for broader disruptions if the shutdown continues.
Zohre Khazaee - seyed mohammad kazemi
