Nearly 1,500 flights canceled on second day of cuts tied to government shutdown | US federal government shutdown 2025

U.S. airlines canceled 1,460 flights on Saturday, the second day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) order to reduce air traffic due to the government shutdown.

So far, the slowdown at many of the country’s busiest airports has not caused widespread disruption. But it compounded the impact of what is now the nation’s longest federal shutdown.

“We all travel. We all have a place to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami on Saturday to visit family in the Dominican Republic for the week. “I hope the government can take care of it.”

Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt well beyond air travel if cancellations deepen and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.

There are already concerns about the impact on towns and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of delivery disruptions which could delay Christmas items going on sale in stores.

The FAA reported significant air traffic control staffing issues Saturday, affecting 37 airport towers and other centers and delaying flights in at least 12 major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. Staffing shortages in Charlotte and Newark, New Jersey, have also slowed traffic.

Saturday — typically a slow travel day — the airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was by far the hardest hit, with 120 arriving and departing flights canceled as of midday.

Not all cancellations were due to the FAA order, and these numbers represent only a small portion of overall flights nationwide. But they will certainly increase in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

The FAA said the reductions affecting all commercial airlines start at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be increased again on Tuesday before reaching 10% of flights on Friday.

The reductions affect approximately 700 flights from the four largest carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that further flight reductions may be necessary if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers become unemployed.

As many as 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay for almost a month as the shutdown continues, leading many people to call in sick and worsening already existing staff shortages.

Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown, without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said.

Most travelers were relieved that airlines largely stuck to their schedules Friday, and those whose flights were canceled were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights have not been interrupted.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about which upcoming flights will be canceled.

And not everyone can afford a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flew back to Puerto Rico.

“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything harder,” she said.

Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way bookings Friday, and some people are canceling their flights altogether.

Other impacts of slowing air traffic could also include higher prices at stores, since nearly half of all U.S. air cargo is shipped in the holds of passenger planes.

Major flight disruptions could lead to higher shipping costs that would be passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

More losses will ripple through the economy if the downturn continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.

“This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo planes to people going to business meetings to tourists who can travel,” he said. “It’s going to affect hotel taxes and occupancy taxes. There’s a cascading effect that comes from this thing.”