Why is FAA cutting 10% flights in US? Find out the full list of affected airports
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Why is FAA cutting 10% flights in US? Find out the full list of affected airports")
An FAA Air Traffic Control Tower stands above Terminal 5 as the airport terminal building sits closed awaiting demolition to be rebuilt ahead of the 2028 Olympics as seen across the tarmac during the 10th annual Aviation Career Day at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California on October 30, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
The FAA will cut 10% of US flight capacity, affecting 40 major airports, as the government shutdown strains air safety operations and staff work unpaid.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday announced that he will reduce flight capacity by 10 per cent, affecting 40 major airports and 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily, starting on Friday.
“As we slice the data more granularly, we are seeing pressures build in a way that we don’t feel, if we allow it to go unchecked, will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world,” said the Federation Aviation Director Bryan Bedford
Why the FAA is cutting flights
The drastic plan is a step to reduce air security risk as the US Government shutdown drags on. The shutdown has reached its 36th day. It has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees to work without pay. The move comes as airlines scramble to accommodate millions of passengers. The airlines claim that at least 3.2 million travellers have already been impacted.
Airports to be affected
The government has not disclosed the complete list of Airports to be affected. However, according to sources close to ABC News, the list includes scores of busy airports with heavy passenger and cargo traffic. The following 40 airports are cited in the list
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- 1 ANC Anchorage International
- 2 ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- 3 BOS Boston Logan International
- 4 BWI Baltimore/Washington International
- 5 CLT Charlotte Douglas International
- 6 CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- 7 DAL Dallas Love
- 8 DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National
- 9 DEN Denver International
- 10 DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International
- 11 DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- 12 EWR Newark Liberty International
- 13 FLL Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- 14 HNL Honolulu International
- 15 HOU Houston Hobby
- 16 IAD Washington Dulles International
- 17 IAH George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- 18 IND Indianapolis International
- 19 JFK New York John F Kennedy International
- 20 LAS Las Vegas McCarran International
- 21 LAX Los Angeles International
- 22 LGA New York LaGuardia
- 23 MCO Orlando International
- 24 MDW Chicago Midway
- 25 MEM Memphis International
- 26 MIA Miami International
- 27 MSP Minneapolis/St Paul International
- 28 OAK Oakland International
- 29 ONT Ontario International
- 30 ORD Chicago O'Hare International
- 31 PDX Portland International
- 32 PHL Philadelphia International
- 33 PHX Phoenix Sky Harbour International
- 34 SAN San Diego International
- 35 SDF Louisville International
- 36 SEA Seattle/Tacoma International
- 37 SFO San Francisco International
- 38 SLC Salt Lake City International
- 39 TEB Teterboro
- 40 TPA Tampa International
Duffy, earlier in the week, told CNBC that the administration could “shut the whole airspace down” if the shutdown drags on.
