Trump Directs Airlines to Cut Flights as Government Shutdown Reaches Record Length

Travellers across the United States faced growing uncertainty on Friday as a federal directive ordering airlines to scale back flights at dozens of major airports took effect.

The measure, introduced to address air traffic safety risks caused by staff shortages during the record-length government shutdown, mandates a gradual reduction in flights beginning with a 4% cut on Friday, rising to 10% next week.

The Trump administration’s directive affects operations at 40 airports nationwide, including major hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.

“This decision is driven purely by safety concerns, not politics,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, rejecting claims that the move was intended to pressure Democrats to end the shutdown.

Now in its sixth week, the shutdown—already the longest in U.S. history—has left tens of thousands of federal workers, including air traffic controllers and security officers, without pay.

According to FlightAware, more than 800 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled. American Airlines confirmed that it had cut about 220 flights per day, while Delta Airlines scrapped 170 and Southwest Airlines cancelled roughly 100 flights.

Thursday’s operations had already seen widespread disruption, with over 6,800 delays and more than 200 cancellations nationwide. Passengers at airports in Boston and Newark reported delays exceeding two hours, while those at Chicago O’Hare and Washington Reagan National faced wait times of over an hour.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford said the reductions were necessary to prevent accidents.

“We can’t wait for a safety incident before acting,” Bedford stated. “Early indicators show we need to intervene now to prevent further deterioration.”

The timing of the directive adds to travel concerns as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches—one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Despite the disruptions, officials assured the public that air travel remains safe.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after,” Secretary Duffy posted on social media, emphasizing that the measures were proactive and precautionary.

Airlines acknowledged the challenges of implementing the order on short notice. United Airlines and Delta said they were complying but noted that international and hub-to-hub routes would be largely unaffected, meaning cancellations would mostly impact regional flights.

The ongoing shutdown began on October 1 after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement, forcing 1.4 million federal workers either into unpaid leave or to work without pay.

Many aviation personnel have reportedly begun calling in sick or seeking second jobs to cope financially.

“This is unprecedented in modern aviation,” FAA Administrator Bedford said. “We’ve never seen conditions like this in my 35 years in the industry—but then again, we’re in uncharted territory when it comes to shutdowns.”