(U.S.) U.S. aviation officials and airlines are moving to slow the pace of the nation’s air traffic ahead of Thanksgiving travel, rolling out FAA-mandated flight reductions at major airports from Atlanta to Los Angeles. The cuts will ramp from 4% to 10% of scheduled flights between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. over the coming week.
The reductions focus on domestic and regional services while preserving most international and hub-to-hub routes. Officials say the phased approach is designed to reduce strain on the system during one of the busiest times of the year without bringing terminals to a standstill. About 40 airports are covered nationwide and ~4,000 flights are affected. The step-down approach aims to keep operations stable as passenger volumes surge for the holiday.
Phased reduction schedule and rationale
- Friday: 4% cut
- Saturday: 5% cut
- Sunday: 6% cut
- Next week (core daytime hours): 10% cut
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the move unusual but necessary, citing controller fatigue and staffing gaps linked to the ongoing government shutdown.
“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. The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow,” Bedford said.
“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 FAA emphasized that safety will guide all decisions and that airlines retain discretion to shape which flights are trimmed to maintain network stability. The agency’s general guidance and updates can be found on the Federal Aviation Administration website.
Airports affected and local preparations
Airports listed for cuts include:
– Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
– Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
– Denver International Airport
– New York-area: John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty
– Chicago O’Hare International Airport
– Miami International Airport
– San Francisco International Airport
– Los Angeles International Airport
– Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
– Washington Dulles International Airport
– Boston Logan International Airport
– George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston)
Each airport is working with tenant carriers on day-by-day schedule adjustments and on-the-ground support to lessen passenger impacts. Measures include:
– Increased staffing at customer service desks
– Extra personnel for rebooking help
– Boosted communications via terminal announcements, app alerts, and social channels
A Hartsfield-Jackson spokesperson said:
“We are preparing to activate measures to ensure that passengers who may be affected by the FAA flight reductions continue to have an optimal experience.”
How major airlines are applying cuts
Airlines have described their approaches, with a shared emphasis on protecting long-haul and hub-to-hub services:
- Delta Air Lines: Expects to operate the vast majority of flights, including all long-haul international service. Offering flexible rebooking and refunds.
- United Airlines: CEO Scott Kirby said international long-haul and hub-to-hub flights will not be impacted. Reductions target regional flying and domestic mainline flights not between hubs. United offers refunds during the reduction period.
- Southwest Airlines: Will notify affected customers, rebook automatically when possible, and provide refunds if new itineraries don’t work.
- American Airlines: Says the vast majority of customers’ travel will be unaffected and will contact those whose flights are changed.
- Frontier Airlines: Expects most flights to run as scheduled and is allowing changes/cancellations without penalty.
Operational tactics and traveler guidance
Because cuts are concentrated between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., airlines are:
– Retiming some services outside those windows when crews and aircraft are available
– Taking local noise limits and gate access into account
Airport duty managers aim to spread demand more evenly through the day to avoid overcrowding at check-in, security, and gates. Preserving long-haul and hub-to-hub flights is a common theme because canceling trunk flights can ripple across many downstream connections — an approach similar to past responses to weather and staffing shocks.
Travelers are urged to:
– Check airline apps and websites often, especially starting Wednesday
– Monitor direct notifications (text/email) as soon as flight changes are loaded
– Arrive early and review gate/time changes carefully
Several airport information desks will be staffed earlier and later to assist with new itineraries.
Passenger rebooking, refunds, and customer service
Passengers who face changes can generally expect:
– Rebooking on the next available flight, often the same day
– Refunds if the new itinerary doesn’t work
Specific carrier approaches:
– Southwest: Automatic rebooking where possible
– American: Direct outreach to affected customers
– Delta and Frontier: Waiving change fees for affected travelers
– United: Customers may request refunds if schedules are materially changed
Airports have brought in extra customer service staff to manage lines, guide passengers to kiosks, and assist families and elderly travelers.
On-the-ground effects and precautions
Early signs of the plan:
– Slightly smaller departure banks
– Gate boards showing retimed flights around midday
– Faster gate turns at LaGuardia and Newark to open gates quickly for next arrivals
Regional notes:
– Chicago & Denver: Control centers watching weather closely; even a small storm + trimmed schedules can create hard-to-unwind bottlenecks.
– Miami & Los Angeles: Domestic routes with multiple daily frequencies offer re-accommodation flexibility; single-daily international flights are being preserved.
– San Francisco & Boston Logan: Increased alerts in multiple languages and more social media updates to reduce counter crowding.
– Houston (George Bush Intercontinental): Coordinating gate swaps to shave minutes off turn times and reduce missed connections.
– Denver & Dallas Fort Worth: Increased staffing on connector bridges where schedule changes are often noticed after security.
Network effects and contingency outlook
Airline planners say controlled, targeted trimming should produce milder network effects than a weather shutdown because:
– Carriers can choose where to reduce capacity
– Crew duty times can be adjusted ahead of reductions
However, regional leaders warn that small reductions in tight airspace (e.g., Reagan National and Dulles) can slow departures significantly.
Officials say the next week is the key test:
– If the 10% reduction during core hours holds and weather cooperates, the Thanksgiving peak could pass with fewer cancellations than worst-case scenarios.
– If the shutdown persists and staffing remains strained, airlines may extend flexibility and keep targeted cuts in place until more controllers are available.
For now, the main message from the FAA and airlines is steady:
– Watch your flight status
– Expect some shuffling of times
– Know that most long-haul and hub-to-hub services remain on the board
This Article in a Nutshell
The FAA ordered phased flight reductions at about 40 major U.S. airports ahead of Thanksgiving, cutting 4% to 10% of scheduled daytime flights (6 a.m.–10 p.m.) to address controller fatigue and staffing gaps tied to the government shutdown. The measures affect roughly 4,000 flights and emphasize trimming domestic and regional services while preserving most international and hub-to-hub routes. Airlines and airports will retime flights, increase customer service staffing, and offer rebooking or refunds to minimize passenger disruption.
