U.S. Airlines' Daily Cancellations Top 2,100 for First Time Since Shutdown Cuts Began

The Associated Press reported on November 8 that U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights on Sunday, the first time daily cancellations have topped 2,000 since shutdown-related cuts began, mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce air traffic. According to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions, more than 7,000 additional flights were delayed on Sunday; more than 1,000 flights were canceled on Friday and more than 1,500 on Saturday. The slowdown at 40 of the nation's busiest airports is in its third day.

The FAA ordered flight cuts at the nation's busiest airports last week as some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, stopped showing up for work. The reductions started Friday at 4 percent and will increase to 10 percent by November 14. They are in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time and apply to all commercial airlines.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Sunday that U.S. air traffic could "slow to a trickle" if the shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season. "More controllers aren't coming to work day by day, the further they go without a paycheck," Duffy told Fox News Sunday.

Airlines for America said that from October 1 to November 7, controller shortages disrupted more than 4 million passengers on U.S. carriers.

Source: Associated Press, November 8, 2026, citing FlightAware data and Airlines for America figures.

Source: Associated Press

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 美国一座机场出发大厅的航班信息显示屏（资料图）。（Wikimedia Commons／CC BY 2.0）| A flight information display at a U.S. airport departures hall (file photo). (Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0)