USA TODAY National
Flight delays and cancellations climbed on Monday, the fourth day of disruptions imposed by federal transportation officials amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
By 7 p.m. ET Monday, more than 7,800 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware. Over 2,200 flights were canceled for the day.
About 5.5% of flights are affected ‒ more than the 4% of cuts presently ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to offset an air traffic controller shortage. Cuts are scheduled to increase to 10% by Friday, Nov. 14, but it's unclear whether a resolution to end the shutdown, which is expected this week, will make a difference.
Lawmakers reached a deal Sunday to end the shutdown, two sources familiar with the matter told USA TODAY late Sunday. But the government isn't reopening yet as lawmakers in Congress still have a winding logistical road before they can actually turn the lights back on.
The shutdown has forced some 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay. Last week, the FAA reported that about 20% to 40% of controllers have been absent on any given day at the 30 biggest U.S. airports during the shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that air travel disruptions would spread if the shutdown continued. On Monday, President Donald Trump demanded that air traffic controllers return to work and threatened to cut the pay of controllers who do not report to work.
Not all current cancellations are because of government-mandated flight cuts. A winter storm has slammed the Chicago area, impacting flights at both Chicago Midway and Chicago O'Hare. Aviation experts had told USA TODAY that weather could exacerbate delays and cancellations.
Second day with over 2,000 cancellations
More than 7,700 flights have been canceled across the United States since the FAA began restricting flight capacity at 40 major airports on Friday due to the ongoing government shutdown.
FlightAware data shows 1,025 cancellations on Friday and 1,566 on Saturday for flights “within, into, or out of the United States.”
Cancellations jumped on Sunday to 2,954, according to FlightAware. And over 11,200 flights were delayed in the single worst day for flight disruptions since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Sunday was the fourth-worst day for cancellations since January 2024, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company. Just over 60% of flights left on time, and 30% had delays of more than 30 minutes, Cirium reported.
By around 7 p.m. ET on Monday, FlightAware data shows that 2,245 daily flights had been canceled.
'Air traffic controllers will continue to show up'
Staffing issues worsened over the weekend, and the number of air-traffic control centers with staff shortages rose to 81 on Saturday, the peak since the shutdown began, according to Duffy.
In response to Trump's comments on Monday, National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said controllers would appreciate any recognition.
"We'll work with the administration ... Air traffic controllers will continue to show up during this shutdown," he said.
Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat on the House of Representatives committee overseeing the FAA, said the controllers "deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism."
Trump orders all air traffic controllers back to work
Trump threatened to dock the pay of air traffic controllers who don’t report to work, after the Senate reached a compromise to end the government shutdown.
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!” Trump said on social media Nov. 10. “Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’”
Air traffic controllers continued working without paychecks during the shutdown. But some failed to show up, leading to the flight disruptions across the country.
Earlier in November, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers were not showing up for work on any given day, Reuters reported.
A growing number of controllers have also retired since the federal shutdown began on October 1, Duffy said. The FAA is 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short of full staffing, he told CNN.
Trump urged the controllers who didn’t show up for work to quit. And he pledged to recommend $10,000 bonuses to controllers who continued working.
“For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,” Trump said. “For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
‒ Bart Jansen
American Airlines cancels 400-plus flights for Monday and Tuesday
American Airlines, like other major carriers, said it was cutting more than 400 flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of this week in accordance with FAA orders.
"Per FAA requirement, we have reduced flight schedules by six percent at 40 airports for Tuesday, Nov. 11, amounting to about 200 flights canceled due to a smaller schedule," the airline said in a Nov. 9 statement. It previously announced plans to cut about 220 flights each day from Friday, Nov. 7, through Monday, Nov. 10.
"Due to the prolonged government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, we, like most airlines, are experiencing additional and widespread delays and cancellations across the country today despite the advanced cancellations that the FAA required us to make," the airline said. "We, again, urge leaders in Washington, D.C., to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown."
− Mary Walrath-Holdridge
United Airlines canceled more than 700 flights through Wednesday
United Airlines said Nov. 10 it was cutting more than 700 flights scheduled for early this week due to ongoing air traffic restrictions issued during the federal government shutdown.
While the shutdown appears poised to end soon, the government has not yet reopened and the FAA order to reduce air traffic remains in place. Air traffic controllers have worked without pay during the shutdown, with some not showing up for work as it has dragged on.
United told USA TODAY on Monday, Nov. 10, that it had cancelled 190 flights for Monday, 269 for Tuesday, and 271 for Wednesday, totaling 730 flights.
"We will continue to make rolling updates to our schedule if the government shutdown continues and share the latest information as we have it," the airline said in a Nov. 10 statement.
− Mary Walrath-Holdridge
Trump says US is getting new air traffic control system
Trump said the country would be “getting the finest air traffic system anywhere in the world” in the next two or three weeks.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on the afternoon of Nov. 10, Trump said companies including IBM and Raytheon were bidding to build the new infrastructure.
“...We’re going to pick the best one, and it’ll get built relatively quickly, and we’re going to have the greatest air traffic control system anywhere in the world,” he said.
Trump did not provide further details.
− BrieAnna Frank
New York, Los Angeles airports are among those not taking private planes
A slew of major airports were not accepting private planes on Monday, creating additional disruptions to air travel nationwide.
The restrictions will only add to the nationwide air travel disruptions. Private jets make up roughly one in six flights handled by the FAA, according to a 2023 environmental impact report by the Institute for Policy Studies.
The affected airports include:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
“Above all, this moment underscores the need to reopen the government to serve all Americans,” Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), said in a Nov. 9 news release about the restrictions. “NBAA stands with the rest of the aviation community in calling upon Congress to end the shutdown immediately, and for the NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) to be repealed when the government reopened.”
− BrieAnna Frank
Southwest Airlines cancels over 250 flights
Southwest Airlines said it was cutting more than 250 flights scheduled for early this week due to ongoing air traffic restrictions issued during the federal government shutdown.
"We have now reduced our flight schedule through Tuesday across 34 of the more than 117 airports we serve, taking steps to protect the health of our crew network and prevent further unplanned cancellations," Southwest said in a Nov. 9 statement. "For Monday, we removed roughly 140 flights from the schedule, climbing to 155 on Tuesday to meet the FAA’s requirements."
Southwest did not specify which 34 airports would be impacted by its cancellations.
USA TODAY has reached out to Southwest to confirm exactly how many flights would be canceled on Nov. 10, 11 and 12.
‒ Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Natalie Neysa Alund
Delta canceled nearly 500 flights
Delta Air Lines announced that it canceled nearly 500 flights under a government directive during the shutdown and that all cancellations through Nov. 12 have been completed.
The airline canceled 280 mainline flights and 215 Delta Connection regional flights. Additional delays and cancellations may still be needed to cope with air traffic control restrictions.
“Delta teams continue to safely manage our operation and care for customers who have experienced cancellations and delays,” the airline said in a statement.
‒ Bart Jansen
Calls grow for restrictions on private jets
The restrictions on commercial flights have sparked calls for transportation officials to curb private air travel. Private jets make up approximately one of every six flights handled by the FAA, according to a 2023 report from the Institute for Policy Studies on the environmental impact of these flights.
New restrictions on private air travel went into effect on Monday, according to National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen. Bolen said the restrictions will "effectively prohibit business aviation operations" at 12 of the nation's busiest airports.
While some reports have characterized the restrictions as targeting private jets, Dan Hubbard, an association spokesperson, said most of these flights are conducted by small and mid-sized businesses. Hubbard said the airplanes are typically not jets, but rather turboprop and piston airplanes flying to and from smaller airports.
The FAA did not immediately respond to questions about how the new restrictions will affect private jet flights but said it will allow exceptions to the general aviation restrictions for emergency operations, medical transport, law enforcement activities, and other necessary missions."
Why cutting flights 'needs to be done' for your safety
Overall, flying remains safe, but the FAA has warned that safety-related incidents, particularly instances when aircraft got closer together than they should have, either on the ground or in the air, have increased since the shutdown started.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that’s part of the reason he ordered the traffic reduction, so this measure should boost safety as the nation heads into the busy Thanksgiving travel period.
"Seeing a 10% cut on the 40 largest airports, my initial reaction is this is going to impact millions of travelers and it’s unfortunate, but if it’s what needs to be done for the safety of travelers, there’s no question, it’s the right decision," Hayley Berg, lead economist at online booking platform Hopper, told USA TODAY.
‒ Zach Wichter
Shutdown ending won't resolve flight issues immediately
Even if lawmakers finalize a deal to reopen the government this week, travelers shouldn’t expect an instant return to normal at the nation’s airports.
Flights have already been reduced at 40 of the country’s busiest airports to offset air traffic controller shortages, and experts warn those disruptions will linger long after the shutdown officially ends.
“There's going to be extensive disruption across the entire nation’s air transportation system,” Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, an independent travel analytics firm, told USA TODAY. And the consequences could last longer than the shutdown.
‒ Eve Chen
Duffy warned of Thanksgiving travel disruptions before shutdown deal
In the CNN appearance, Duffy warned that holiday travel could be impacted if the shutdown remains in place.
"We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays, they want to see their families, they want to celebrate this great American holiday," Duffy said. "Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly unless this thing doesn't open back up."
On Nov. 7, he said that restrictions could jump to 15% or even 20% of all scheduled flights. Officials initially said travelers would see a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports last week.
Duffy and other aviation officials have said the restrictions are necessary to ensure safety while air traffic controllers are understaffed, a strain exacerbated by the shutdown.
− Kathryn Palmer
What is in shutdown deal?
The shutdown deal, agreed to by at least eight Senate Democrats, includes reversals of federal layoffs, a promised vote in the future on Obamacare subsidies, and fully reopening the government through Jan. 30.
It was the first time in more than a month that congressional Republicans succeeded in persuading a sizable number of their colleagues across the aisle to join them in supporting a shutdown off-ramp.
The FAA-ordered cuts to flights was one of the most public, high-profile impacts of the shutdown.
− Zachary Schermele
Senate slates full passage of funding package Monday night
Senate Majority Leader John Thune teed up a series of votes Monday night that will end with the chamber voting on a package that would reopen the government. That deal, which was announced Sunday, is expected to pass.
Lawmakers will take a flurry of amendments and procedural votes, Thune said, before ultimately sending the package over to the House of Representatives.
− Zachary Schermele
Flying during the shutdown
Two USA TODAY reporters flew during the restrictions on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Nathan Diller and Eve Chen faced disparate experiences in the skies, with Diller reporting that traveling from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale was "as smooth as any before the shutdown" while Chen's flight from Atlanta to Miami landed three hours later than initially scheduled.
See what it was like in the restricted skies:
Which airports are impacted by the cuts?
The FAA has selected the following airports for the gradual increase in cancellations:
- TPA – Tampa International Airport
- ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- BOS – Boston Logan International Airport
- BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport
- CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
- DAL – Dallas Love Field
- DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- DEN – Denver International Airport
- DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
- DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport
- FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
- HNL – Honolulu International Airport
- HOU – William P. Hobby Airport
- IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport
- IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
- IND – Indianapolis International Airport
- JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
- LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
- LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
- LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
- MCO – Orlando International Airport
- MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport
- MEM – Memphis International Airport
- MIA – Miami International Airport
- MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
- OAK – Oakland International Airport
- ONT – Ontario International Airport
- ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- PDX – Portland International Airport
- PHL – Philadelphia International Airport
- PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- SAN – San Diego International Airport
- SDF – Louisville International Airport
- SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
- SFO – San Francisco International Airport
- SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport
- TEB – Teterboro Airport
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: More than 2,200 flights across the US canceled as shutdown grounds travelers: Updates
Reporting by James Powel, Kathryn Palmer, Zachary Schermele, Eve Chen, N'dea Yancey-Bragg and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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