Nearly every major U.S. hub is about to feel the squeeze as the Federal Aviation Administration mandates flight reductions, putting pressure on both travelers and carriers.

FAA Orders 10% Flight Cuts at 40 U.S. Airports Amid Shutdown. Here’s The Full List

The FAA has ordered airlines to reduce scheduled flights by up to 10% at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, citing staffing shortages and fatigue among air traffic controllers who continue working without pay during the current federal government shutdown. The reductions begin this weekend and are largely aimed at daylight hours when traffic and staffing demands are highest.

Airports Affected By FAA Cutbacks

Here is the list of airports included in the reduction order:

1. Anchorage International (ANC)
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
3. Boston Logan International (BOS)
4. Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
5. Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
7. Dallas Love Field (DAL)
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
9. Denver International (DEN)
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
12. Newark Liberty International (EWR)
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
14. Honolulu International (HNL)
15. Houston Hobby (HOU)
16. Washington Dulles International (IAD)
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
18. Indianapolis International (IND)
19. New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
20. Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
21. Los Angeles International (LAX)
22. New York LaGuardia (LGA)
23. Orlando International (MCO)
24. Chicago Midway International (MDW)
25. Memphis International (MEM)
26. Miami International (MIA)
27. Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP)
28. Oakland International (OAK)
29. Ontario International (ONT)
30. Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
31. Portland International (PDX)
32. Philadelphia International (PHL)
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
34. San Diego International (SAN)
35. Louisville International (SDF)
36. Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
37. San Francisco International (SFO)
38. Salt Lake City International (SLC)
39. Teterboro (TEB)
40. Tampa International (TPA)

There was some fear that “blue state” airports would be targeted, but it appears that “red states” are not spared from this order.

The directive applies across these hubs and airlines are rapidly adjusting schedules to achieve he full 10% cut. Schedule capacity is expected to be most strained between 6 AM and 10 PM local time. For passengers, that means fewer flights to choose from, tighter connection windows, and a higher likelihood of cancellations, even if flying through an airport not on the list.

How Airlines Are Responding With Waivers

Carriers are moving quickly to soften the impact. Major airlines have already introduced flexible travel waivers that allow affected passengers to rebook without change fees or opt for refunds, even on previously non-refundable and even basic economy tickets. Carriers are also proactively trimming schedules in advance to avoid last-minute airport chaos (though Frontier Airlines is quite an outlier, but more on that in a future post).

Airlines emphasize that most reductions are focused on domestic regional flights, with international schedules prioritized, though cascading effects into regional routes remain likely. If you are traveling this weekend, monitor flight status frequently and expect schedule changes with less notice than normal.

CONCLUSION

This is not a weather problem, a tech outage, or a seasonal backlog. Rather, this is being cast as a structural strain caused by an unpaid workforce that keeps the national airspace system functioning (though politics may be at play). Check your flight more than once. Expect disruptions…