The FAA to Cut Flights at These Airports Amid Shutdown

Travelers are bracing for a weekend of flight cancellations and delays as the government shutdown drags on and the Federal Aviation Administration’s route cuts go into effect across the United States.

Starting Friday, the administration implemented a 4 percent reduction in flights across 40 major airports, according to the FAA. That will increase to 6 percent by Nov. 11, rise to 8 percent by Nov. 13, and jump to 10 percent by Nov. 14. 

“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,” FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.” 

Travelers with upcoming flights were encouraged to be proactive by checking their flight status early and rebooking quickly in case of a disruption.

Travelers should also plan to arrive at the airport extra early due to potential delays at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints (both air traffic controllers and TSA officers are currently working without a paycheck). At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), for example, airport officials anticipated security wait times could exceed one hour.

As of early Friday afternoon, there were more than 1,800 delays within, into, or out of the U.S. and more than 800 flight cancellations, according to flight tracker FlightAware. More than 600 flights have already been canceled for Saturday.

Major airlines were implementing new policies to help customers navigate the disruptions. United Airlines, for example, set up a dedicated page with all of its canceled flights due to the FAA’s order, and is offering refunds to any passenger who wants to cancel their flight, even if their specific route isn’t impacted. Carriers like Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and JetBlue have implemented similar flexible travel policies for affected airports.

This is the full list of the 40 major airports affected by the FAA’s order, by region.

North and Midwest

• Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
• Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

East Coast

• Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• Teterboro Airport (TEB)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD)

South

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
• Dallas Love Field (DAL)
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Louisville International Airport (SDF)
• Memphis International Airport (MEM)
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)
• William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)

West Coast

• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• Ontario International Airport (ONT)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Portland International Airport (PDX)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Hawaii

• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

Alaska

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)