U.S. Flight Cancellations Top 2,700 as Shutdown Crisis Deepens

U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,700 flights on Sunday Nov. 9 as the nationwide impact of the federal government shutdown extended into its third day, causing mounting travel chaos and sparking fears of worse disruptions ahead of the Thanksgiving rush. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown continues, air traffic could “slow to a trickle” across the country.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines on Friday Nov. 7 to reduce flight operations at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports after hundreds of unpaid air traffic controllers stopped reporting for work. The order began with a 4% cut, set to rise gradually to 10% by November 14, affecting flights between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time. According to Duffy, further reductions of up to 20% may be necessary if the government remains closed and controllers continue missing paychecks.

“The longer this goes on, the fewer controllers come to work,” Duffy told Fox News Sunday. “As we approach Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel slow to a trickle. You’ll have a few flights taking off and landing — and thousands canceled.”

The scale of disruption has already reached critical levels. On Sunday alone, nearly 10,000 flight delays were recorded nationwide, according to FlightAware, in addition to the 2,700 cancellations. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday and over 1,500 on Saturday. Airlines and airport authorities warned passengers to brace for worsening conditions in the coming week as the FAA struggles to maintain staffing levels.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, reported the highest number of cancellations Sunday, followed by Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where freezing weather compounded the chaos. The National Weather Service warned of continued icy conditions across the Midwest and Southeast through Tuesday, further threatening flight schedules.

Traveler Kyra March, who had been trying to reach Atlanta from Tampa, described the ordeal of multiple delays and rebookings. “My flight got delayed, delayed, delayed. Then it was canceled, then rebooked,” she said. “I had to stay overnight at a hotel before finally making it this morning.”

The FAA said staffing shortages at Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports in New York were causing average departure delays of 75 minutes. Detroit Metropolitan Airport, meanwhile, saw mostly empty terminals Sunday morning as flight boards filled with delays and cancellations.

Airlines for America, the trade group representing major U.S. carriers, said air traffic control staffing-related delays exceeded 3,000 hours on Saturday alone — the highest total since the shutdown began — and accounted for 71% of all delay time nationwide. Since October 1, the group estimates that controller shortages have disrupted travel for more than 4 million passengers.

The shutdown has intensified an existing staffing crisis within the FAA, which has struggled for years to replace retiring air traffic controllers. Duffy said the shutdown has pushed many senior controllers to accelerate their retirements. “Up to 15 or 20 a day are retiring,” he told CNN.

The defense department has reportedly offered to lend military controllers to help fill the gaps, but officials say it remains unclear whether they are fully certified to operate civilian systems.

Duffy pushed back against accusations from Democrats that the FAA’s drastic cuts were politically motivated, insisting that safety concerns drove the decision. “I needed to take action to keep people safe,” he said. “This is not political — it’s about preventing accidents in an overtaxed system.”

As the shutdown drags on, airlines are warning that the ripple effects could worsen dramatically in the days ahead. With Thanksgiving approaching — the busiest travel period of the year — passengers and industry experts fear that the aviation system is heading toward a full-scale operational crisis if the government does not reopen soon.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com, apnews.com, cnn.com