Flight Cuts at 40 Busy U.S. Airports Take Effect November 7 During Shutdown, Rising From 4% to 10%
On November 7, 2025, during the federal government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration's emergency order cutting flights took effect: operations at 40 high-traffic airports across the United States were reduced by 4 percent at first, rising in steps to 10 percent by November 14. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford outlined the plan on November 6.
The reductions come in four steps: 4 percent on November 7, 6 percent on November 11, 8 percent on November 13, and 10 percent from November 14 onward. They apply to scheduled domestic operations between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time at each of the 40 airports. International flights are not required to be cut, and carriers choose which flights to cancel. Airlines must issue full refunds for canceled flights.
The FAA said air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began, staffing triggers at facilities across the country have been increasing, and there were 2,740 delays at airports nationwide the previous weekend. The actions were informed by the FAA's review of safety data, including confidential safety reports filed by pilots and controllers, indicating increased stress on the system. "We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely," Bedford said.
The order also prohibits some visual flight rule approaches at facilities with staffing triggers, prohibits parachute operations and photo missions near such facilities, and allows commercial space launches and reentries only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time.
Related: Trump Signs Funding Bill Ending 43-Day Government Shutdown, the Longest in U.S. History
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国联邦航空管理局总部大楼（资料照片）。Matthew Bisanz摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons；联邦固定图库同源图。 / Photo: FAA headquarters in Washington (file photo). By Matthew Bisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; federal fixed image library image.
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