U.S. airlines cancelled 1,330 flights on Saturday (November 8, 2025), the second day of government-mandated flight reductions, as the ongoing federal shutdown continues to strain the aviation system.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered airlines to cut 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports beginning Friday (November 7) due to air traffic control safety concerns. The shutdown has left thousands of air traffic controllers unpaid for weeks, leading to widespread staffing shortages.
The FAA said reductions will increase to 6% on Tuesday (November 11) and reach 10% by November 14.
Delays Across Major U.S. Cities
On Saturday, the FAA reported air traffic control staffing issues at 25 airports and facilities, causing flight delays in at least 12 major cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.
Ground delay programs were imposed at several airports, with average delays of 337 minutes in Atlanta, one of the nation’s busiest hubs.
In total, 5,450 flights were delayed on Saturday, following 7,000 delays and 1,025 cancellations on Friday. The cuts, which began at 6 a.m. ET Friday, affected roughly 700 flights operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines—a figure mirrored again on Saturday.
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Safety Concerns and Political Fallout
During the Senate debate on Friday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, blamed the shutdown for growing safety risks, noting that pilots have filed over 500 voluntary safety reports citing controller fatigue and errors.
The 39-day shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners to work without pay, contributing to rising absenteeism. Many controllers were informed on Thursday (November 6) that they would miss a second consecutive paycheck next week.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if attendance continues to fall, he may order reductions of up to 20% in air traffic.
“We’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace,” Duffy said.
The Trump administration has pointed to air traffic disruptions as evidence that Democrats should support a “clean” funding bill. At the same time, Democrats argue the shutdown stems from Republicans’ refusal to negotiate over expiring health insurance subsidies.
Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford reported that 20% to 40% of air traffic controllers have failed to report for duty in recent days.