FAA to Cut Air Traffic by 10% at Major Airports Amid Staffing Crisis

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to reduce air traffic by 10% at several major U.S. airports starting Friday to maintain safety as the ongoing government shutdown enters its 36th day. The move comes amid growing concerns over air traffic controller shortages, with many employees working without pay.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the reduction will affect 40 “high-volume markets” and is intended to prevent flight safety risks caused by staffing exhaustion. “We just can’t ignore it when the early indicators are telling us to take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” Bedford told reporters.

The cuts follow weeks of delays and disruptions caused by staffing shortages at key air traffic control facilities. Even before the shutdown, the FAA was short more than 3,000 certified controllers. With thousands now working without pay, some have taken second jobs or called in sick, prompting officials to describe morale within the agency as near a “tipping point.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Bedford said they will meet with airline executives to determine how to implement the reductions fairly before revealing which airports will be affected. However, major airline hubs in Dallas, Houston, Newark, and Phoenix are among those expected to see the biggest operational impacts.

Air traffic controllers, speaking anonymously to NPR, described worsening morale and fatigue after years of mandatory overtime and stagnant wages. “This is kind of about the point in the last shutdown where people just started getting fed up with it,” one controller said. During the 2018–2019 shutdown, widespread sick calls among controllers triggered massive flight disruptions across the East Coast — a scenario industry officials fear could repeat.

The planned 10% reduction could result in thousands of flight cancellations or reschedules each day, particularly during peak travel hours. Secretary Duffy acknowledged the decision will cause frustration for passengers but emphasized that safety must come first. “Our heart goes out to those who will have flights disrupted,” he said. “This is what we have to do to make sure we maintain that safety profile.”

The FAA has not implemented a similar large-scale traffic reduction in recent memory. Bedford, a 35-year aviation veteran, called the situation unprecedented. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns,” he said. “We look forward to the day when we can get back to business as usual.”

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, npr.org