FAA Reduces Flight Cuts at Airports to 3 Percent

The announcement came after the government reopened on Nov. 12.

People take photos as a plane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 6, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Flight reductions at 40 airports across the United States will be downgraded from 6 percent to 3 percent, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Nov. 14.

The 3 percent reduction goes into effect at 6 a.m. on Nov. 15, according to the FAA statement.

All airports initially impacted in the emergency order are named in the latest guidelines.

The FAA began ordering airports to reduce flights one week ago as an effort to keep the skies safe during the federal government shutdown, which ended on Nov. 12.

The safety and operations team at the FAA said air traffic controller staffing levels have risen since the shutdown ended.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that 70 percent of air traffic controllers received their paychecks on Nov. 14 after working without pay since the start of the shutdown on Oct. 1, 2025.

The U.S airspace has a long way to go until flights return to normal.

On Friday, over 630 cancellations were reported in the U.S., according to FlightAware.

The majority of those flights happened at major travel hubs like Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and Denver International Airport.

Reagan National Airport reported a ground delay of 52 minutes on Friday evening due to staffing.

SkyWest and Southwest airlines reported the most cancellations on Friday.

President Donald Trump suggested that air traffic controllers who worked for weeks without pay should get a major bonus.

“For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Nov. 10.

He also blamed the government shutdown on Democrats and criticized essential workers who didn’t stay on the job during the funding lapse.

“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU. You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record. If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind!”

Duffy said that he would back the president’s bonus proposal for those who continued to show up for work.

“The air traffic controllers who didn’t miss a day, they came for every scheduled shift that they had, they should get a bonus,” he told reporters on Nov. 14.

“Now I don’t know how many there are going to be; we have to do that analysis, but I’m aligned with the president. We are going to pay them a bonus, and it will be $10,000, depending on how many we have. They should come to the White House, and he should present them with their check.”