(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) A wave of flight cancellations swept across major U.S. hubs on Friday as government shutdown reductions took effect, with Chicago O’Hare leading the list and tens of thousands of travelers bracing for longer lines and missed connections.

The measures, announced Wednesday and activated Friday, November 7, 2025, triggered a national cut in scheduled flights as federal aviation staff shortages deepened. According to Cirium data, the airports with the most canceled flights were led by Chicago O’Hare with 33 cancellations, Atlanta with 32, Denver with 25, Dallas Fort Worth with 24, and Charlotte with 21. Airlines moved quickly to rebook travelers but warned of rolling delays.

What the federal directive requires

The directive, ordered by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, instructs a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, escalating through the weekend.

• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said traffic volume would be managed to protect safety as essential staff work without pay and absenteeism increases among air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.
• FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stressed the rarity of the move: “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.”
• The shutdown has stretched to 37 days, now the longest in U.S. history.

How the reductions roll out

The reductions are phased and increase across days:

1. Friday (start) — 4% cuts
2. Saturday — 5% cuts
3. Sunday — 6% cuts
4. Monday, November 10 — up to 10% cuts

The reductions are expected to affect 3,500 to 4,000 flights per day nationwide. While intended to stabilize operations, the early impact was visible at counters and gates as travelers switched itineraries, changed airports, and watched departure boards turn red.

Airlines’ response and passenger options

Carriers issued broad waivers and rebooking/refund policies:

• Affected airlines included United, American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, and Avelo.
• Most offered full refunds or no-fee changes and urged passengers to arrive early.
• Airlines also used operational tactics such as down-gauging aircraft, consolidating lightly booked flights, and adding crew where available.

Airlines cautioned about rolling delays and advised passengers to monitor apps and social media for updates.

Cirium data — wider cancellation pattern

Cirium data showed cancellations beyond the top five. The number of cancellations at other major airports included:

• Los Angeles International — 18
• Newark — 17
• Phoenix — 16
• Detroit — 15
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental — 14
• San Francisco — 14
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul — 13
• LaGuardia — 12
• Reagan National (Washington) — 11
• Dulles (Washington) — 9
• Salt Lake City — 10
• Boston — 10
• Philadelphia — 10
• Miami — 9
• San Diego — 9

This list of the 20 airports with the most cancellations gave travelers and airline planners an early map of pressure points as the weekend approached.

Passenger experiences and special impacts

At Houston’s George Bush Airport, one passenger described the disruption: “We’re going to be here probably for about five hours now because we thought we had to check in early because of what’s going on. It’s slightly disappointing.”

• Families rearranged plans; business travelers juggled meetings; international visitors faced missed connections.
• Immigrants flying to job starts or family reunions in the United States 🇺🇸 were particularly affected because backup options are tightening and longer lines slow document checks at checkpoints.
• Many turned to airline apps and social media for real-time updates, renewing calls for clarity from Washington.

Warnings from airport and union leaders

Airport and union officials warned the disruption could worsen without a resolution:

• Kevin Burke, CEO of Airports Council International–North America, urged lawmakers to restore funding immediately: “We are nearing a breaking point, and the current situation is unsustainable.”
• Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said: “Safety is not a political game,” and raised concerns about essential deliveries and food supplies moving by air.
• The back-and-forth placed fresh pressure on Congress as carriers worked to rebuild schedules around the new caps.

Operational effects and network consequences

Network planners reported a range of operational effects:

• The shutdown reductions forced cuts in frequency on some city pairs and trimmed peak-hour departures at saturated hubs.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com indicates that large connecting centers will be hit first, creating knock-on effects for smaller markets that rely on feeder traffic.
• If the shutdown extends into late November, airlines fear a compounding effect during the holiday surge, when spare seats are scarce and recovery time between irregular operations is limited.

Federal guidance and safety rationale

Federal officials pointed passengers to the FAA for updates and safety guidance; basic resources are available on the FAA website.

The FAA’s message: safety comes first. Reduced schedules are necessary with fewer certified controllers on position and mounting fatigue for those still on duty.

Bedford said the cuts, though blunt, aim to:

• Reduce airborne holding
• Prevent runway congestion
• Lower the risk of errors in complex airspace

These steps are intended to keep operations predictable even if slower.

Why cancellations concentrate at major hubs

The cancellations concentrated where traffic is heaviest:

• Hubs like Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, and Dallas Fort Worth serve as major transfer engines, so a canceled bank of flights can cascade quickly across regions.
• Denver and Charlotte saw pressure during mid-morning and early evening banks, when quick crew turns run into time limits.
• Newark and LaGuardia face dense airspace and noise restrictions, leaving less room to shift flights.
• Phoenix, Detroit, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul carried mid-continent burdens as carriers tried to preserve West Coast and transcontinental links.

Practical advice for travelers

The checklist for travelers became straightforward:

• Keep alerts on and monitor airline apps.
• Expect longer lines at check-in and security.
• Prepare for rebooking — most airlines offered full refunds or no-fee changes.
• Arrive earlier than usual due to TSA staffing shortages at peak times.
• Consider rerouting through airports with fewer cancellations on the Cirium data list if possible.

Agents steered passengers to earlier departures or next-day options; families tried to build longer layovers, and international passengers weighed rerouting through less-affected airports.

The longer-term risk: Thanksgiving and beyond

Industry planners warn that if Congress can’t reopen the government soon, the Thanksgiving rush could amplify existing weak points:

• A 10% cap at major hubs during late November leaves little cushion for weather-related disruptions.
• Several top-cancellation hub cities face the prospect of early winter storms.
• Airlines can swap larger aircraft to protect capacity, but crew availability, maintenance windows, and gate limits impose hard bounds.

For now, the focus remains on avoiding gridlock while cuts ramp from 4% to 10% over four days.

Final takeaway

Even with Friday’s shock, officials emphasized that safety remains intact. As Bedford put it: “These are hard choices, but they are the right ones with the workforce we have available.”

Those choices placed Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas Fort Worth, and Charlotte at the center of the turmoil, illustrating how a shutdown in Washington translates into cancellations and delays at departure gates across the country. As passengers refreshed their apps and watched the boards, the Cirium data offered a clear guide: where cancellations stack up, delays follow close behind.