{"id":171408,"date":"2025-11-11T00:42:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T00:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/more-than-2200-flights-across-the-us-canceled-as-shutdown-grounds-travelers-updates-usa-today\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T00:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T00:42:17","slug":"more-than-2200-flights-across-the-us-canceled-as-shutdown-grounds-travelers-updates-usa-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/more-than-2200-flights-across-the-us-canceled-as-shutdown-grounds-travelers-updates-usa-today\/","title":{"rendered":"More than 2,200 flights across the US canceled as shutdown grounds travelers: Updates – USA Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Flight delays and cancellations climbed on Monday, the fourth day of disruptions imposed by federal transportation officials amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
By 7 p.m. ET Monday, more than 7,800 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware. Over 2,200 flights were canceled for the day.
About 5.5% of flights are affected \u2012 more than the 4% of cuts presently ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to offset an air traffic controller shortage. Cuts are scheduled to increase to 10% by Friday, Nov. 14, but it’s unclear whether a resolution to end the shutdown<\/a>, which is expected this week, will make a difference.
Lawmakers reached a deal Sunday to end the\u00a0shutdown<\/a>, two sources familiar with the matter told USA TODAY late Sunday. But the government isn’t reopening yet as lawmakers in Congress still have a winding logistical road before they can actually turn the lights back on.
The shutdown has forced some 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay. Last week, the FAA reported that about 20% to 40% of controllers have been absent on any given day at the 30 biggest U.S. airports during the shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that air travel disruptions would spread if\u00a0the shutdown continued. On Monday, President Donald Trump<\/a> demanded that air traffic controllers return to work and threatened to cut the pay of controllers who do not report to work.
Not all current cancellations are because of government-mandated flight cuts<\/a>. A winter storm has slammed the Chicago area, impacting flights at both Chicago Midway and Chicago O’Hare. Aviation experts had told USA TODAY that weather could exacerbate delays and cancellations.
More than 7,700 flights have been canceled across the United States since the FAA began restricting flight capacity at 40 major airports on Friday due to the ongoing government shutdown.\u00a0
FlightAware data<\/a>\u00a0shows 1,025 cancellations on Friday and 1,566 on Saturday\u00a0for flights \u201cwithin, into, or out of the United States.\u201d
Cancellations jumped on Sunday to 2,954, according to FlightAware. And over 11,200 flights were delayed in the single worst day for flight disruptions since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Sunday was the fourth-worst day for cancellations since January 2024, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company. Just over 60% of flights left on time, and 30% had delays of more than 30 minutes, Cirium reported.
By around 7 p.m. ET on Monday, FlightAware data shows that 2,245 daily flights had been canceled.
Staffing issues worsened over the weekend, and the number of air-traffic control centers with staff shortages rose to 81 on Saturday, the peak since the shutdown began, according to Duffy.
In response to Trump’s comments on Monday, National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said controllers would appreciate any recognition.
“We’ll work with the administration … Air traffic controllers will continue to show up during this shutdown,” he said.
Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat on the House of Representatives committee overseeing the FAA, said the controllers “deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism.”
Trump threatened to dock the pay of air traffic controllers who don\u2019t report to work, after the Senate reached a compromise to end the government shutdown.
\u201cAll Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!\u201d Trump said on social media Nov. 10.<\/a> \u201cAnyone who doesn\u2019t will be substantially \u2018docked.\u2019\u201d
Air traffic controllers continued working without paychecks during the shutdown. But some failed to show up, leading to the flight disruptions across the country.
Earlier in November, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers were not showing up for work on any given day, Reuters reported<\/a>.
A growing number of controllers have also retired since the federal shutdown began on October 1, Duffy said. The FAA is 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short of full staffing, he told CNN<\/a>.
Trump urged the controllers who didn\u2019t show up for work to quit. And he pledged to recommend $10,000 bonuses to controllers who continued working.
\u201cFor those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn\u2019t take ANY TIME OFF for the \u2018Democrat Shutdown Hoax,\u2019 I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,\u201d Trump said. \u201cFor those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.\u201d
\u2012<\/em> Bart Jansen<\/em>
American Airlines, like other major carriers, said it was cutting more than 400 flights scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of this week in accordance with FAA orders.\u00a0
“Per FAA requirement, we have reduced flight schedules by six percent at 40 airports for Tuesday, Nov. 11, amounting to about 200 flights canceled due to a smaller schedule,” the airline said in a Nov. 9 statement<\/a>. It previously announced plans<\/a> to cut about 220 flights each day from Friday, Nov. 7, through Monday, Nov. 10.\u00a0
“Due to the prolonged government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, we, like most airlines, are experiencing additional and widespread delays and cancellations across the country today despite the advanced cancellations that the FAA required us to make,” the airline said. “We, again, urge leaders in Washington, D.C., to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown.”
\u2212 Mary Walrath-Holdridge<\/em>
United Airlines<\/a> said Nov. 10 it was cutting more than 700 flights scheduled for early this week due to ongoing\u00a0air traffic restrictions<\/a>\u00a0issued during the\u00a0federal government shutdown<\/a>.
While the shutdown\u00a0appears poised to end soon,<\/a>\u00a0the government has not yet reopened and the FAA\u00a0order to reduce air traffic remains in place<\/a>. Air traffic controllers have worked without pay during the shutdown, with some not showing up for work as it has dragged on.
United told USA TODAY on Monday, Nov. 10, that it had cancelled 190 flights for Monday, 269 for Tuesday, and 271 for Wednesday, totaling 730 flights.
“We will continue to make rolling updates to our schedule if the government shutdown continues and share the latest information as we have it,” the airline said in a Nov. 10 statement<\/a>.
\u2212 Mary Walrath-Holdridge<\/em>
Trump said the country would be \u201cgetting the finest air traffic system anywhere in the world\u201d in the next two or three weeks.\u00a0
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on the afternoon of Nov. 10, Trump said companies including IBM and Raytheon were bidding to build the new infrastructure. \u00a0
\u201c…We\u2019re going to pick the best one, and it\u2019ll get built relatively quickly, and we\u2019re going to have the greatest air traffic control system anywhere in the world,\u201d he said.\u00a0
Trump did not provide further details.\u00a0
\u2212 BrieAnna Frank<\/em>
A slew of major airports were not accepting private planes on Monday, creating additional disruptions to air travel nationwide.
The restrictions will only add to the nationwide air travel disruptions. Private jets make up roughly one in six flights handled by the FAA, according to a 2023 environmental impact report<\/a> by the Institute for Policy Studies.\u00a0
The affected airports<\/a> include:\u00a0
\u201cAbove all, this moment underscores the need to reopen the government to serve all Americans,\u201d Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), said in a Nov. 9 news release<\/a> about the restrictions. \u201cNBAA stands with the rest of the aviation community in calling upon Congress to end the shutdown immediately, and for the NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) to be repealed when the government reopened.\u201d\u00a0
\u2212 BrieAnna Frank<\/em>\u00a0
Southwest Airlines<\/a>\u00a0said it was cutting more than 250 flights<\/a> scheduled for early this week due to ongoing\u00a0air traffic restrictions<\/a>\u00a0issued during the\u00a0federal government shutdown<\/a>.
“We have now\u00a0reduced our flight schedule through Tuesday\u00a0across 34 of the more than 117 airports we serve, taking steps to protect the health of our crew network and prevent further unplanned cancellations,”\u00a0Southwest said<\/a>\u00a0in a Nov. 9 statement. “For Monday,\u00a0we removed roughly 140 flights from the schedule, climbing to 155 on Tuesday\u00a0to meet the FAA\u2019s requirements.”
Southwest did not specify which 34 airports would be impacted by its cancellations.
USA TODAY has reached out to Southwest to confirm exactly how many flights would be canceled on Nov. 10, 11 and 12.
\u2012<\/em> Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Natalie Neysa Alund<\/em>
Delta Air Lines<\/a> announced that it canceled nearly 500 flights under a government directive during the shutdown and that all cancellations through Nov. 12 have been completed.
The airline canceled 280 mainline flights and 215 Delta Connection regional flights. Additional delays and cancellations may still be needed to cope with air traffic control restrictions.
\u201cDelta teams continue to safely manage our operation and care for customers who have experienced cancellations and delays,\u201d the airline said in a statement.
\u2012<\/em> Bart Jansen<\/em>
The restrictions on commercial flights have sparked calls<\/a> for transportation officials to curb private air travel. Private jets make up approximately one of every six flights handled by the FAA, according to a 2023 report from the Institute for Policy Studies<\/a> on the environmental impact of these flights.
New restrictions on private air travel went into effect on Monday, according to National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen. Bolen said the restrictions will “effectively prohibit business aviation operations” at 12 of the nation’s busiest airports.
While some reports have characterized the restrictions as targeting private jets, Dan Hubbard, an association spokesperson, said most of these flights are conducted by small and mid-sized businesses. Hubbard said the airplanes are typically not jets, but rather turboprop and piston airplanes flying to and from smaller airports.\u00a0
The FAA did not immediately respond to questions about how the new restrictions will affect private jet flights but said it will allow exceptions to the general aviation restrictions for emergency operations, medical transport, law enforcement activities, and other necessary missions.”
Overall, flying remains safe, but the FAA has warned that safety-related incidents, particularly instances when aircraft got closer together than they should have, either on the ground or in the air, have increased since the shutdown started.\u00a0
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that\u2019s part of the reason he ordered the traffic reduction, so this measure should boost safety as the nation heads into the busy Thanksgiving travel period.\u00a0
“Seeing a 10% cut on the 40 largest airports, my initial reaction is this is going to impact millions of travelers and it\u2019s unfortunate, but if it\u2019s what needs to be done for the safety of travelers, there\u2019s no question, it\u2019s the right decision,” Hayley Berg, lead economist at online booking platform Hopper, told USA TODAY.<\/a>
\u2012<\/em> Zach Wichter<\/em>
Even if lawmakers finalize a deal to reopen the government this week, travelers shouldn\u2019t expect an instant return to normal at the nation\u2019s airports.<\/a>
Flights have already been reduced at 40 of the country\u2019s busiest airports to offset air traffic controller shortages, and experts warn those disruptions will linger long after the shutdown officially ends.
\u201cThere’s going to be extensive disruption across the entire nation\u2019s air transportation system,\u201d Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst and president of\u00a0Atmosphere Research Group,<\/a>\u00a0an independent travel analytics firm, told USA TODAY. And the consequences could last longer than the shutdown.\u00a0
\u2012<\/em> Eve Chen<\/em>
In the CNN appearance, Duffy warned that holiday travel could be impacted if the shutdown remains in place.
“We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays, they want to see their families, they want to celebrate this great American holiday,” Duffy said. “Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly unless this thing doesn’t open back up.”
On Nov. 7, he said that restrictions could jump to 15% or even 20% of all scheduled flights. Officials initially said travelers would see a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports last week.\u00a0
Duffy and other aviation officials have said the restrictions are necessary to ensure safety while air traffic controllers are understaffed, a strain exacerbated by the shutdown.
\u2212 Kathryn Palmer<\/em>
The shutdown deal<\/a>, agreed to by at least eight Senate Democrats, includes reversals of federal layoffs, a promised vote in the future on Obamacare subsidies, and fully reopening the government through Jan. 30.
It was the first time in more than a month that congressional Republicans succeeded in persuading a sizable number of their colleagues across the aisle to join them in supporting a shutdown off-ramp.
The FAA-ordered cuts to flights was one of the most public, high-profile impacts of the shutdown.
\u2212 Zachary Schermele<\/em>
Senate Majority Leader John Thune teed up a series of votes Monday night that will end with the chamber voting on a package that would reopen the government. That deal, which was announced Sunday, is expected to pass.
Lawmakers will take a flurry of amendments and procedural votes, Thune said, before ultimately sending the package over to the House of Representatives.
\u2212 Zachary Schermele<\/em>
Two USA TODAY reporters flew during the restrictions on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Nathan Diller and Eve Chen faced disparate experiences in the skies, with Diller reporting that traveling from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale was “as smooth as any before the shutdown” while Chen’s flight from Atlanta to Miami landed three hours later than initially scheduled.
See what it was like in the restricted skies:
The FAA has selected the following airports for the gradual increase in cancellations:
Contributing: Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n

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Flight delays and cancellations climbed on Monday, the fourth day of disruptions imposed by federal transportation officials amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.By 7 p.m. ET Monday, more than 7,800 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware. Over 2,200 flights were canceled for the day.About […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}