Published By: Meera VermaLast updated: November 8, 2025 11:20:27 IST

More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across the United States on Friday after the Trump administration directed reductions to ease the strain on air traffic controllers working without pay amid a federal government shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that 40 major airports, including those in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, were affected. The cuts began gradually, starting with a 4% reduction in flights, and were expected to increase to 10% next week if Congress failed to reach a funding deal.

UNITED STATES: Over 1,000 flights were cancelled today due to government shutdown

— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) November 8, 2025

The shutdown that’s now stretching close to six weeks started on October 1 after a political fight between Republicans and Democrats over health insurance subsidies caused government funding to lapse.

The situation left thousands of travelers stranded as government workers, including key airport staff, continued to work without pay or were placed on forced leave. According to FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled.

The hardest-hit airports included Reagan National in Washington, Denver International, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The FAA said passengers at Reagan National were facing average delays of four hours, while Phoenix saw 90-minute waits and Chicago and San Francisco reported one-hour delays.

“This is frustrating. We don’t need to be in this position,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom while speaking to the media.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown, saying, “If Democrats are going to go home this weekend, and they’ve kept the government shut down, that’s shameful.”