Direct answer: As of today, 2025-11-06, U.S. government shutdown-related flight reductions are being implemented at up to 40 major airports, with a planned roughly 10% cut in air traffic at those hubs. The affected airports are being announced by federal authorities and reported by major outlets; expected impacts include thousands of potential flight cancellations or schedule reductions across the largest urban and international hubs. Context and what this means for travelers:
- What’s happening: The FAA, under the government shutdown, has authorized a 10% reduction in air traffic at a defined set of high-traffic airports to manage safety and operational strain while federal employees remain unpaid. This is a national, airport-specific capacity constraint that will affect scheduling and flight availability.
- Which airports: Reports indicate the list centers on the nation’s busiest markets, including hubs like Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Boston, Washington, and others among the 40 airports. An official, complete list was expected to be released by authorities on Thursday.
- Travel planning implications: Expect increased delays, higher chances of flight cancellations, more surface congestion around peak travel periods, and likely changes to flight updates and airline scheduling as carriers adapt to the reduced capacity. Monitor airline alerts and the FAA/Department of Transportation updates for the latest airport-by-airport status.
What you can do now:
- Check your flight status frequently via your airline app or website, and sign up for real-time alerts.
- Consider alternate options: different airports within driving distance, or reshaping travel dates to avoid peak disruption windows.
- If you’re flexible, prepare for possible rebooking costs or rerouting and review airline policy on refunds or credits during government shutdown-related disruptions.
If you’d like, provide your departure and destination airports and travel dates, and can outline the current status indicators for those specific airports and offer backup options.
