Hit by Shutdown, 40 of the Busiest US Airports Cut Flights by 10 Percent. Trump's Move Awaited

JAKARTA - United States (US) Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has ordered a 10 percent reduction in flight schedules at 40 major airports in the United States. This policy comes amid concerns about the continued impact of the US federal government shutdown.

Duffy's order sparked chaos in the US aviation industry, with many airlines rushing to significantly cut their flight schedules in the 36 hours before the order officially takes effect on Friday, November 7, according to AP.

Passengers have flooded airline customer service hotlines with confusion about the certainty of their air travel plans in the coming days, according to a Reuters report.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the decision to reduce air traffic at 40 "high-volume" airports in the US was made in response to the ongoing government shutdown to ensure passenger safety if the closure continues for a long time.

Amid the longest US government shutdown in history, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have been working without pay since October 1.

The FAA, facing payroll arrears for US aviation industry employees, is also experiencing a shortage of air traffic controllers. Consequently, the FAA has slowed or temporarily halted aircraft traffic.

Air traffic operations in the US have begun to deteriorate as tens of thousands of flights have been delayed since the government shutdown took effect on October 31, 2025. Airlines say at least 3.2 million passengers have been affected by the air traffic controller shortage.

Political compromises to end the government shutdown so that Republicans and Democrats in the US Senate can agree on a budget ahead of the start of the new fiscal year are underway.

The US administration, led by Republican President Donald Trump, is trying to pressure Democrats to end the shutdown and warns of increased concerns about flight disruptions.

Democrats responded by accusing Republicans of instigating the shutdown by refusing to negotiate on their party's proposed healthcare subsidies.

Phased Flight Reductions

According to reports, the FAA said flight schedule reductions at airports would start at 4 percent, increasing to 5 percent on Saturday and 6 percent on Sunday this week, before reaching 10 percent next week. International flights are exempt from the flight schedule cuts.

"When we see pressures increasing in these 40 markets, we can't ignore it," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a press conference.

"We can take action today to prevent conditions from worsening, so the system is very safe today, and will be very safe in the future," he continued.

While the administration did not name the 40 airports affected, the cuts are expected to impact 30 of the busiest airports, including those serving New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

Citing Cirium aviation analysis, Reuters reported that the flight cuts would eliminate 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 airline seats.

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Trump administration and the FAA are still waiting to determine the exact impact of the flight schedule cuts.

According to reports, the more than month-long government shutdown has left many low-income Americans without food assistance, shut down many government services, and sent approximately 750,000 federal employees home.