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As the government shutdown continues, more challenges await passengers as they deal with the newest announcement from the Trump administration: a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 U.S. airports.
Nov. 6, 2025Updated 4:23 p.m. ET
A day after the Trump administration announced it would cut 10 percent of air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, airlines, airports and travelers are scrambling to adjust their plans.
The reductions are set to begin on Friday with a 4 percent reduction in affected markets and expand over the weekend until they reach a 10 percent decrease by next week, according to a person familiar with a discussion between the Federal Aviation Administration and airline officials, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
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It remains unclear which airports and flights will be affected; many large airports, including in the New York metropolitan area, said they had not been officially notified about flight reductions. But some U.S. airlines have indicated they will maintain international flights and reduce regional trips. This means that the cuts could have a significant impact on smaller airports that prioritize domestic and regional flights.
The cutbacks follow a steady drumbeat by Trump administration officials and travel industry organizations, raising concerns about the fragility of the air travel system and the possibility of chaos at airports as the shutdown stretches toward Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
At a news conference yesterday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cuts are meant to “alleviate the pressure” on air traffic controllers, who are among the federal employees working without pay during the shutdown. Though flight disruptions have largely been minimal, air traffic control facilities across the country have experienced an elevated absence rate. That includes the New York area, where the F.A.A. reported on Friday that nearly 80 percent of air traffic controllers were absent.
