Flight delays and cancellations mount as FAA cuts to air traffic enter second day
Flight delays and cancellations are piling up Saturday across the U.S. after the Federal Aviation Administration cut flights at 40 U.S. airports on Friday.
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More than 1,000 flights have been canceled today nationwidem, and frustration is boiling over at Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson Airport.
Fox News’ Madison Scarpino covered on 'Fox Report' that airlines are notifying travelers early, keeping the terminal relatively calm, but anxiety remains high.
Delays have already topped 4,000.“I’m very frustrated with the government… everybody’s suffering,” one traveler told Scarpino.
Another added: “Fire all of them… vote them all out.”
Airlines say they’ll refund or rebook affected passengers, but as Scarpino noted, everyone is hoping this gets resolved before the holiday rush.
Empty gates are seen at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on Nov. 7, 2025. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid congressional paralysis on funding the US budget. Forty airports were due to slow down, including the giant hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. airlines canceled 1,330 flights on Saturday, the second day of FAA-mandated service reductions tied to the ongoing government shutdown, according to Reuters.
FAA began enforcing 4% daily cuts on Friday, a number that will rise to 6% on Tuesday and hit 10% by Nov. 14 if the shutdown continues.
On Saturday alone, 5,450 flights were delayed, after more than 7,000 delays and 1,025 cancellations on Friday.
The four largest U.S. carriers: American, Delta, Southwest and United each cut roughly 700 flights as part of the FAA’s order.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers have stopped showing up for work. Many have now missed two straight paychecks, with fatigue contributing to hundreds of voluntary safety reports from pilots, according to Sen. Ted Cruz.
The shutdown, now in its 39th day, continues to strain aviation operations heading into the busy Thanksgiving travel period.
A view of a mostly empty security checkpoint line at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 7, 2025. Hundreds of flights were canceled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid congressional paralysis on funding the US budget. Forty airports were due to slow down, including the giant hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. (Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
The FAA has issued a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday as staffing shortages tied to the government shutdown continue to disrupt air travel.
The stop is scheduled to run from 3:09 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern, halting departures from major centers across the East Coast and Midwest. According to the FAA advisory, Newark logged 2,902 total delays, with the longest delay lasting 313 minutes and the average at 223 minutes.
The FAA noted the extent of this ground stop to continue is "medium."
Travelers make their way to the gates during a temporary ground stop at the Nashville International Airport on Oct. 7, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the airport that flights arriving and departing would be reduced due to a shortage of air traffic controllers amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. (Credit: Seth Herald/Getty Images)
Travelers in Tennessee faced more disruptions Saturday as the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for Nashville International Airport (BNA) due to staffing shortages.
According to an FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisory, the stop began around 1:30 p.m. Central and is scheduled to last until 2:45 p.m. Central, with a "medium probability" of extension.
Atlanta (ZTL), Houston (ZHU), Fort Worth (ZFW), Kansas City (ZKC), Memphis (ZME), and Indianapolis (ZID) were included in the halt.
The FAA reported 129 total delays, with maximum delays reaching 65 minutes. The advisory listed the cause simply as “staffing/staffing.”
"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a ground stop for incoming flights to BNA® due to an air traffic control staffing shortage," Nashville Airport posted in a statement to X. "Travelers are advised to monitor their flight status and contact their airline for updates."
With fewer than 20 days until Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods in America, the government shutdown is starting to hit travelers hard.
The FAA has ordered up to 10% flight reductions at 40 major airports to ease pressure on air-traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since Oct. 1.
The broader industry is feeling the strain. Nearly 500 travel and hospitality businesses have urged Congress to reopen the government, noting the shutdown has already cost $4 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
On his HBO show Friday, comedian Bill Maher quipped: “[The shutdown] is affecting everyone now… They’re going to start canceling flights. Of course, the good news is if the airports are closed for Thanksgiving, you won’t have to see your family.”
Delta planes are seen at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, in April 2018. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina said “staffing constraints” in its air traffic control tower Saturday morning was “one of many contributing factors to delays and cancellations within the national airspace system.”
As of around 11:30 a.m. ET, the airport is suffering the most delays Saturday of any in the United States, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
“CLT Airport has been incredibly fortunate to reach the sixth weekend of the federal shutdown with minimal operational impacts, due in large part to the continued dedication of our Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) partners, who are working without pay,” the airport wrote on X. “With a prolonged federal shutdown, disruptions become more likely.”
“We ask passengers for patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented situation together. CLT is extremely grateful for our dedicated partners — especially TSA and ATC employees — for their continued commitment to ensuring travelers reach their destinations safely,” it added.
Planes are seen at the tarmac at LaGuardia International Airport on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in New York City. (Olga Fedorova/AP)
The number of flight delays in the U.S. on Saturday is approaching 2,000, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
The airports that are the hardest-hit so far by Saturday's delays include Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, Orlando International Airport in Florida and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, data from FlightAware shows.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is also leading the U.S. in cancellations, followed by Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.
Travelers wait in line at a security checkpoint at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas on Nov. 7, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)
Travelers described the chaos Friday inside crowded U.S. airports after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cut flights amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The Associated Press reported those catching early flights at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport stalled in security lines, with many lying on the floor to save their feet.
"It was snaking around all different parts of the regular area," Cara Bergeron told the outlet after flying from Houston to Atlanta. "I've never seen anything like that."
Other travelers, like Karen Soika from Greenwich, Connecticut, missed their flights due to rescheduling or location changes.
Soika's flight out of Newark, New Jersey, was rebooked for an hour earlier than planned, and later relocated to take off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, more than an hour away, according to the outlet.
After failing to book a rental car, she opted to rent a U-Haul truck to drive across the country, the AP reported.
Car rental companies, including Hertz, reported sharp increases in one-way car rentals amid the travel delays.
Democratic senators on Capitol Hill offered differing responses as to why they believe Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the call to reduce flights and air traffic ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel surge.
After news broke that Duffy was ordering a 10% reduction in flight capacity at 40 airports across the country, Republicans remained largely unified in their messaging that any chaos caused by the forced reductions fell at the feet of Democrats.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said short of "planes falling out of the sky," Democrats will not vote to reopen the government. "Democrats are flirting with disaster," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, wrote on X in response to Wednesday’s announcement, adding that there was no choice but to reduce air traffic to keep it safe.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., appeared to agree in comments he made to reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday about the move, telling them "we've got to make sure that flights are safe."
"I don't question Secretary Duffy," Kaine added. "He wants to make sure that flights are safe."
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., had a much more sinister view about Duffy's motivations for compelling a reduction in air traffic ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday.
According to Coons, the new directive is an attempt by the Trump administration to "pressure" Democrats to reopen the government without their demands on Obamacare being met. Coons argued that air traffic controllers and other airport personnel have been facing strains since before the shutdown due to cuts from the president's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk.
"I think it's appropriate for us to focus on improving air safety. It is more urgent for us to focus on the health care cliff that is impacting millions of Americans," Coons told reporters Thursday following Duffy's announcement. "My impression is this is another attempt at putting pressure on Congress to reopen the government," Coons added.
A traveler waits to check in for a flight at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
At least 853 flights have been canceled Saturday across the United States, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
As of around 8:30 a.m. ET, another 1,262 flights in the U.S. have been delayed, the website added.
The impacts come after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began slashing flights at 40 high-traffic airports around the country on Friday in response to the government shutdown, which has triggered airport staffing issues.
The FAA’s plan called for a 4% cut in flights beginning Friday, and ramping up to 6% by Tuesday, Nov. 11.By Thursday, Nov. 13, the reduction will hit 8%, and finally 10% on Friday, Nov. 14.
"The airlines have been good partners. They don't love this. They're going to lose millions of dollars because of this. It's challenging for them to take down flights," Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told FOX Business on Friday.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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