Air passengers around the world are facing severe disruption after the US government ordered airlines to cut flights amid the ongoing shutdown in Washington — the longest in the country’s history.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it had been forced to reduce commercial air traffic to keep passengers safe, as thousands of air traffic controllers continue to work without pay. The move has hit major US airports — including New York’s JFK, Los Angeles International (LAX), and Atlanta — and is now causing a ripple effect across global routes.
“We’re seeing real signs of stress in the system, so we’re proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure Americans continue to fly safely,” said Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator.
By Friday morning, data from FlightAware showed more than 800 US-linked flights had been cancelled, accounting for nearly 80% of all global cancellations.
Airlines slash flights as shutdown drags on
The Department of Transportation said 40 of the country’s busiest airports will initially see a 4% reduction in operations, rising to 10% over the next week if the shutdown continues. Aviation analysts estimate this could mean as many as 1,800 flights cancelled and around 268,000 seats lost.
United, Delta, Southwest, and American Airlines have already started cutting flights, warning passengers of rolling cancellations and delays.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said: “We’re updating our schedule day by day to give customers as much notice as possible.”
Delta said it expected to run most of its flights as planned, while American Airlines urged political leaders to “end the shutdown immediately” to prevent further disruption.
The timing could not be worse. The travel chaos comes just two weeks before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods of the year in the US.
Political stalemate deepens
The crisis stems from a political deadlock between Republicans and Democrats over government spending. A potential compromise collapsed on Friday after Senate Democrats rejected a proposal to tie a temporary funding bill to three long-term appropriations plans.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has accused Democrats of being responsible for the disruption, though both parties have refused to back down.
The shutdown — under Donald Trump’s administration — has now overtaken the previous record set during his first term in 2018–19.
According to the FAA, around 3,000 air traffic controllers are off duty, while another 11,000 are working without pay, raising fears over staff fatigue and safety.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 35 years in aviation,” Bedford said. “We’re in completely uncharted territory.”
