US Airlines Cancel Nearly 1,200 Flights as Shutdown Disrupts Air Travel
US airlines canceled nearly 1,200 flights on Tuesday, marking the fifth straight day of widespread cancellations exceeding 1,000 daily flights. The disruptions come as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues enforcing mandatory flight reductions aimed at addressing air traffic control staffing shortages during the ongoing government shutdown.
Last week, the FAA ordered airlines to cut 4% of daily flights across 40 major airports beginning Friday, November 7. By Tuesday, those reductions had reached 6%, and are expected to climb to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday, November 14. Airline executives and FAA officials are currently discussing how and when these flight cuts could be eased as the record-breaking 42-day shutdown nears an end.
According to Reuters, several strategies are being considered to phase out or reduce the flight restrictions once government operations resume. On Monday night, the Senate approved legislation to reopen the government and fund operations through January 30, with the House scheduled to vote on Wednesday.
Flight Chaos and Staffing Shortages
The prolonged shutdown has triggered tens of thousands of cancellations and delays since it began on October 1. Over the weekend alone, more than 1.2 million passengers faced travel disruptions due to air traffic controller absences.
On Tuesday, airlines also delayed over 1,300 flights, following 2,900 cancellations and 9,600 delays recorded on Monday, according to FlightAware. However, airline officials said staffing conditions improved significantly on Tuesday, with the FAA reporting just one staffing issue, compared to more than two dozen problems the previous day.
The shutdown, the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents to work without pay. The FAA remains 3,500 controllers short of its staffing targets, and many employees have been working six-day weeks and mandatory overtime even before the shutdown began.
On Monday, President Donald Trump warned that air traffic controllers who failed to return to work could face pay cuts or dismissal, signaling growing frustration over ongoing disruptions in the nation’s aviation system.
