Flight Delays, Cancellations to Continue Even After Shutdown Ends

Here’s what you need to know about cancellations and intensifying safety concerns as the holiday travel season looms

a collage of an airplane, passport and airport control tower

Long lines and flight delays are among the challenges travelers can expect to encounter as the shutdown of the American government continues.

AARP (Getty Images, 4)

Berit Thorkelson,

Updated November 12, 2025

AARP

Published October 03, 2025

/ Updated November 12, 2025

The federal government shutdown may be nearing an end, but the cancellations and delays U.S. airline passengers have experienced since the Federal Aviation Administration mandated flight cuts are likely to continue.

The FAA-mandated flight cuts at 40 high-volume airports started Nov. 7 with reductions of 4 percent. Between then and Nov. 11 when the rate rose to 6 percent, airlines cut more than 9,000 flights, the Associated Press reported. There were fewer cancellations on Nov. 11, than in previous days, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed to an increase in the number of air traffic controllers returning to work after news of a shutdown agreement.

As of the afternoon of Nov. 12, there were nearly 900 cancellations and nearly 1,200 delays for the day, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. The reductions are set to increase to 10 percent by Nov. 14.

The FAA hasn’t said when it will roll back flight limits. On Nov. 11, Duffy said that the cuts will remain — even after the shutdown ends — until safety metrics improve and staffing levels stabilize at air traffic control facilities.

An estimated 5.2 million passengers have been affected by staffing-related delays or cancellations since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to Airlines for America, an industry trade group.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Nov. 12 – the 43rd day of the longest government shutdown in American history – on a bill to reopen the government that the Senate passed on Nov. 10.

Even if the measure to reopen the government passes this week, it may take some time for airlines to ramp back up.

The mandated flight cancellations followed a week that saw some of the worst staffing shortages of the shutdown, which resulted in thousands of delays and increased concerns over airline safety as the busy holiday travel season looms. Seventy percent of adults 50-plus planned to travel in 2025, according to AARP’s Travel Trends survey, which also identified an increase in domestic air travel among this age group.

Here’s what you need to know about how the shutdown’s air traffic reduction affects air travel safety, which airports will be affected and what travelers can do to protect themselves.

Which airports are affected by the shutdown’s air traffic reduction?

The forced flight reductions affect 40 of the busiest airports across the nation. Travelers should check with their airlines to see if their flight has been canceled. Here is the list of airports affected:

Anchorage International (ANC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
Boston Logan International (BOS)
Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
Denver International (DEN)
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
Newark Liberty International (EWR)
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
Honolulu International (HNL)
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Washington Dulles International (IAD)
George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
Indianapolis International (IND)
New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
Los Angeles International (LAX)
LaGuardia (LGA)
Orlando International (MCO)
Chicago Midway (MDW)
Memphis International (MEM)
Miami International (MIA)
Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP)
Oakland International (OAK)
Ontario International (ONT)
Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
Portland International (PDX)
Philadelphia International (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
San Diego International (SAN)
Louisville International (SDF)
Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
San Francisco International (SFO)
Salt Lake City International (SLC)
Teterboro (TEB)
Tampa International (TPA)

Is air travel safe during the shutdown?

Until a deal is reached, the vast majority of federal employees who keep U.S. airports and air travel running — chiefly, TSA agents and air traffic controllers — are furloughed or working without pay. The FAA was already running extremely short on controllers prior to the shutdown. Oct. 28 marked most federal workers’ first missed paycheck after a partial paycheck two weeks earlier. Since then, absences have increased. Most air traffic controllers have been on duty six days a week to put in mandatory overtime, with some calling out of work due to frustration, taking second jobs or not having money for child care or gas, the Associated Press reports.

“America’s air traffic controllers are now having to focus on how they put gas in the car, how do they take care of their children, how do they pay for child care,” Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said during a news conference at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Oct. 28. “That makes the system less safe.”

The goal of the air traffic reduction is to maintain safety. “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,” FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference on Nov. 5. “The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures.”

How will the airlines accommodate travelers?

United, Southwest, Delta and American stated that they will try to minimize the impact of the traffic reduction mandate on their customers. Airlines urged travelers to check their apps and websites for the latest flight information. The airlines are also granting travelers the ability to change or cancel their flights at no cost, often even if their flight is not affected. If you’re looking for specific details on a flight change, cancellation or refund, click these links:

What to do if you’re traveling by air during the shutdown

There are some tactics to keep in mind if you’re planning to head to an airport during the flight reductions.

Ensure your airline can contact you. Download and familiarize yourself with their app. Check their website. Make sure your contact information is up to date. “If your flight is canceled, they’ll email or text you or send you push notifications through that app,” says John E. DiScala, creator of the travel tips-and-deals website Johnny Jet. They may offer you options to immediately rebook this way, too.

Get to the airport early. Remember, most Transportation Security Administration agents are government employees. Early in the shutdown, TSA lines were moving as usual, but that’s beginning to change along with missed paychecks. Build in extra time and consider downloading the TSA’s mobile app to check your airport’s TSA wait time.

Consider travel insurance. That extra protection provides peace of mind as the odds of cancellation increase. “I always recommend it,” DiScala says. “Especially now.” If you used a credit card to purchase your flight, see if it offers any travel protections.

Be proactive. As soon as your flight is canceled, try to contact the airline in two of three ways: the app, a phone call and in person. The faster you act, the more options you’ll have.

Consider a backup flight. If you really need to be somewhere, it’s not a bad idea, DiScala says. Just be sure it’s refundable.

Take a deep breath. With a 10 percent reduction in flights, the odds suggest yours won’t be affected. But if it is, neither anxiety nor brusqueness will improve your situation. “Being in a frenzy is not going to help,” DiScala says. “Be nice, and don’t take it out on the poor agents, workers and attendants.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Oct. 3, 2025. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Contributing: The Associated Press

Berit Thorkelson is a travel writer and editor for aarp.org. She has also written for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens and The Minnesota Star Tribune’s travel section.