America’s longest-ever government shutdown is about to affect flights in a major way. Federal officials announced Wednesday that major airports will face a wave of flight cuts—a 10% reduction across 40 of the country’s biggest hubs—starting this Friday, November 7.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the move is a response to safety concerns as air traffic control staffing levels collapse under the strain of unpaid labor. About 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA agents have been working without pay since October 1, when the shutdown began. Many are calling in sick or quitting outright.
Duffy didn’t say how long the cuts will last, or exactly which airports will be hit, but the plan is to start with a 4% reduction on Friday, 5% Saturday, 6% Sunday, then 10% by next week. The FAA reportedly plans to spare international flights but expects the cuts to impact the country’s busiest airports in cities like New York, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas.
That could mean as many as 1,800 fewer flights and 268,000 lost seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. For travelers, that’s fewer options, longer lines and likely sky-high fares as airlines scramble to adjust. Airlines were blindsided by the announcement, given just 36 hours to reshuffle schedules and reassign crews.
The shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has already created a ripple effect across the country. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have missed more than a month’s worth of paychecks. Low-income families are losing access to food and heating assistance. And now, even lawmakers are struggling to get flights home.
Behind it all is a political deadlock that shows no sign of breaking. Democrats are refusing to pass a spending bill that doesn’t extend health insurance subsidies, while Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, are digging in, hoping mounting public pressure will force Democrats’ hand. Unless Congress acts, the next few weeks of air travel could be rough.
The list of airports is not yet final, but sources provided CBS with a list of the 40 major airports that will likely be affected by the cuts.
40 airports that will be affected by cuts due to the government shutdown
Anchorage International (ANC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
Boston Logan International (BOS)
Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
Dallas Love (DAL)
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
Denver International (DEN)
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
Newark Liberty International (EWR)
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
Honolulu International (HNL)
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Washington Dulles International (IAD)
George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
Indianapolis International (IND)
New York John F Kennedy International (JFK)
Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
Los Angeles International (LAX)
New York LaGuardia (LGA)
Orlando International (MCO)
Chicago Midway (MDW)
Memphis International (MEM)
Miami International (MIA)
Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP)
Oakland International (OAK)
Ontario International (ONT)
Chicago O`Hare International (ORD)
Portland International (PDX)
Philadelphia International (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
San Diego International (SAN)
Louisville International (SDF)
Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
San Francisco International (SFO)
Salt Lake City International (SLC)
Teterboro (TEB)
Tampa International (TPA)