FAA to slash air traffic by 10% as unpaid controllers strain under government shutdown
By isabelle // 2025-11-06
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  • The FAA will reduce national air traffic by 10% starting Friday.
  • This unprecedented move is due to overworked and unpaid air traffic controllers.
  • Staffing shortages have tripled at control facilities since the government shutdown.
  • The reduction will cancel thousands of flights and strand hundreds of thousands of travelers.
  • This is a proactive safety measure to prevent a potential disaster in the skies.
The safety of the skies is being compromised by political games in Washington, forcing an unprecedented reduction in air travel that will strand thousands of travelers. In an extraordinary move, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets starting Friday. This decision, a direct result of the ongoing government shutdown, aims to alleviate the dangerous strain on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for over a month. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, a 35-year veteran of aviation, called the measure both extraordinary and unprecedented. "I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures," Bedford stated. This is not a routine adjustment for weather or technical issues. It is a forced downsizing of the national airspace system, a direct consequence of the financial and physical exhaustion of the highly skilled professionals tasked with keeping millions of travelers safe. The root of this crisis is the human toll on the controllers themselves. Since the shutdown began Oct. 1, these essential workers have been on duty six days a week with mandatory overtime, all while not receiving a paycheck. The Associated Press confirmed that staffing shortages are worsening, with controllers calling out due to frustration, the need for second jobs, or an inability to afford gas and child care. The system is being run on the frayed nerves and drained bank accounts of its operators.

Air safety in question

The data paints a clear picture of a system deteriorating under the weight of the shutdown. An AP analysis found that last weekend, at least 39 different air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing issues. This number is more than triple the average for weekends before the shutdown began. The early indicators of a system under immense stress are undeniable, with voluntary safety reports from pilots indicating growing fatigue among the controllers guiding their planes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Administrator Bedford insisted this is a proactive step. "We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said. Duffy pointed to the lessons learned from a deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport in January, emphasizing the need to assess risks and act before disaster strikes. Nevertheless, this proactive measure is an admission of a system in decline.

The impact on travelers and airlines

The practical impact of this decision will be chaos for the traveling public. The FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, and this cutback will impact thousands of them. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates this could mean as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats eliminated in a single day. Major hubs like Chicago's O'Hare, Atlanta, and all three New York City-area airports are on the list of 40 facilities facing cuts, ensuring widespread disruption across the national travel network. Airlines are now scrambling to comply with a directive that gives them less than 48 hours to overhaul complex flight schedules built months in advance. United Airlines, in a statement, said it would focus cuts on regional routes and promised that long-haul international and hub-to-hub flights would not be impacted. The airline also said it would offer refunds to any customer who does not want to fly during this period, a sign of the deep unease permeating the industry. The broader travel industry and aviation unions are united in their call for Congress to end the shutdown. The situation highlights a fundamental truth: a nation’s infrastructure, no matter how advanced, is only as resilient as the people who operate it. When those people are pushed to the brink, the entire system becomes vulnerable. The decision to preemptively cut flights is a confession that the margin of safety is being deliberately narrowed to avoid a complete breakdown. Sources for this article include: APNews.com CBSNews.com ABCNews.go.com
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