FAA Flight Cuts at 40 US Airports: What Travelers Need to Know (November 2026)

FAA flight cuts departure board cancellations

If you have a flight booked in the United States over the next few weeks, check your booking before you pack a bag. On November 6, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines to cut domestic flights at 40 major airports, starting the very next day. The cuts began at 4 percent and are set to climb to 10 percent by November 14, and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled on the first day alone. For a lot of travelers, the first sign of trouble was a text or an email from their airline, arriving with little warning and no obvious alternative flight.

Update (November 12, 2026): The cuts are deepening — 8% on November 13 and 10% on November 14. Cancellations have passed 8,000, and the FAA has barred business jets from 12 airports. Read our latest update..

This is not a normal round of schedule changes. It is a safety measure taken in the middle of the longest federal government shutdown in American history, while air traffic controllers have been working without pay. The FAA says the aim is to take pressure off a strained system before that strain turns into something worse. That may be reassuring to hear, but it does not help much when you are standing at a gate watching your flight disappear from the departure board. Here is what is actually happening, which airports are affected, what it means for your trip, and what to do if your flight is one of the ones that gets cut.

What Happened — and Why the FAA Ordered the Cuts

On Thursday, November 6, the FAA and the US Department of Transportation announced a temporary reduction in flights at 40 high-traffic airports across the country. The order applies to domestic flights. Airlines were told to cut 4 percent of operations from Friday, November 7, rising to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14. The FAA has said the reductions could be increased or eased depending on safety data, so the schedule is not fixed in stone.

The reason is straightforward, and the FAA has not tried to dress it up. Since the shutdown began, air traffic controllers have been working without pay, and staffing problems at air traffic facilities around the country have been getting worse. The FAA says it has seen more reports of strain on the system from both pilots and controllers, including voluntary safety reports filed through the confidential reporting system. Over the weekend before the announcement, there were 2,740 delays at various airports.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put it bluntly when the order was announced: safety is the department's number one job, and the cuts are about assessing the data and easing the pressure building in the system while controllers keep working unpaid. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the same in his own words, that the agency was seeing signs of stress and was cutting flights ahead of time to keep flying safe. Both men stressed that it is safe to fly, and that the point of the cuts is to keep it that way.

The order also includes a few smaller measures that most passengers will never notice directly. The FAA is restricting some visual flight rule approaches at facilities with staffing problems, limiting commercial space launches and reentries to overnight hours, and restricting parachute operations and photo missions near affected facilities. The flight cuts are the part that matters to travelers.

Airlines get to choose which flights they cancel to hit their targets, and they face a fine of $75,000 for each flight operated over the limit, according to the FAA. That explains why the cancellations have not fallen evenly. On the first day of the cuts, Delta said it would cancel about 170 flights, Southwest about 120, and American Airlines about 220, while United said it would cut 4 percent of flights without giving a number. Put together with other airlines, that added up to more than 1,000 flights cancelled on Friday, November 7, according to the Associated Press. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated that once the full 10 percent reduction takes effect, about 1,800 flights and 268,000 airline seats will be cut every day.

It is worth being clear about what this is not. This is not a snowstorm, a mechanical problem, or a single airline's bad week. It is a government-ordered reduction that will last until the shutdown ends or the FAA changes its mind. That also means the situation can improve quickly if the shutdown ends, and it can get worse if it drags on. Checking your flight status once is not enough. If you are flying in the next two weeks, check it again the morning you travel, and the night before.

Which Airports Are Affected?

airplanes parked at gates during FAA flight reductions

The 40 airports on the FAA's list cover most of the places where a large share of US domestic flying happens. If you fly through a major hub, there is a good chance your airport is on it. The full list, verified against the FAA announcement and Reuters' full list of the 40 airports, is:

Anchorage (ANC) — Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Atlanta (ATL) — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Boston (BOS) — Boston Logan International Airport
Baltimore/Washington (BWI) — Baltimore/Washington International Airport
Charlotte (CLT) — Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) — Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Dallas Love Field (DAL) — Dallas Love Field
Washington Reagan National (DCA) — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Denver (DEN) — Denver International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Detroit (DTW) — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Newark (EWR) — Newark Liberty International Airport
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) — Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
Honolulu (HNL) — Honolulu International Airport
Houston Hobby (HOU) — William P. Hobby Airport
Washington Dulles (IAD) — Washington Dulles International Airport
Houston Intercontinental (IAH) — George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
Indianapolis (IND) — Indianapolis International Airport
New York JFK (JFK) — John F. Kennedy International Airport
Las Vegas (LAS) — Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

Los Angeles (LAX) — Los Angeles International Airport
New York LaGuardia (LGA) — LaGuardia Airport
Orlando (MCO) — Orlando International Airport
Chicago Midway (MDW) — Chicago Midway International Airport
Memphis (MEM) — Memphis International Airport
Miami (MIA) — Miami International Airport
Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) — Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
Oakland (OAK) — Oakland International Airport
Ontario (ONT) — Ontario International Airport
Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Portland (PDX) — Portland International Airport
Philadelphia (PHL) — Philadelphia International Airport
Phoenix (PHX) — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
San Diego (SAN) — San Diego International Airport
Louisville (SDF) — Louisville International Airport
Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) — Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
San Francisco (SFO) — San Francisco International Airport
Salt Lake City (SLC) — Salt Lake City International Airport
Teterboro (TEB) — Teterboro Airport
Tampa (TPA) — Tampa International Airport

A few things about the list stand out. First, the three big New York area airports are all on it — JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark — along with both Washington airports, Dulles and Reagan National, and both Chicago airports, O'Hare and Midway. If your trip connects through New York, Washington, or Chicago, you are flying through the middle of the cuts. The same goes for the big connecting hubs: Atlanta, the busiest airport in the country and Delta's main hub; Dallas/Fort Worth and Charlotte, the heart of American Airlines' network; Denver and San Francisco for United; and Detroit and Minneapolis–St. Paul for Delta.

Second, the list is not only about hubs. It includes big leisure destinations too, including Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Honolulu. A family trip to Florida or Hawaii is just as exposed to the cuts as a business trip through Atlanta.

Third, an airport not being on the list does not mean your flight is safe. A flight from a smaller airport that connects through Atlanta, Denver, or Chicago can still be cancelled because the other end of the route is affected. And once flights start being cancelled at a hub, delays tend to spread, because aircraft and crews end up in the wrong place. If either end of your trip is on the list, treat your flight as at risk.

The order does not require airlines to cut international flights, but that does not mean international travelers are in the clear. Many international trips start with a domestic flight to a hub, and that domestic leg can be cancelled even though the long-haul flight still operates. If you are connecting to an international flight, give yourself a longer connection than usual, or look for a direct flight to your departure airport if one exists.

What It Means for Your Flight

crowded airport terminal during flight cuts

For most travelers, the practical question is simple: will my flight go? The honest answer is that nobody can promise you a yes, not even the airline, until the day arrives. What you can do is understand which trips are most exposed and watch for the warning signs.

Short, frequent routes between two affected airports are the most likely to be cut first. Airlines have to hit a percentage, and cancelling one flight on a route that runs eight times a day is easier to manage than cancelling the only flight of the day to a small city. That is why the FAA warned airlines not to make cuts in a way that leaves some communities without service, and why the agency said it threatened to impose cuts itself if carriers did not cut equitably. Still, if your route has plenty of departures a day, expect at least some of them to disappear.

Early morning and late evening flights are also worth watching. When an airline cancels a morning flight, the aircraft and crew for later flights can be affected, and the knock-on effects often show up as delays rather than cancellations. A flight that is still listed as operating can still leave an hour or two late. Build extra time into your day, especially if you are heading to a wedding, a cruise departure, a job interview, or anything else with a hard start time.

Connections are where the risk really piles up. A direct flight has one chance to be cancelled. A trip with two flights has two. If you connect through Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, or Charlotte, your connection is at one of the airports where the cuts are deepest. Where you have a choice, a direct flight is worth paying a little more for right now. If you must connect, look for the longest workable connection time rather than the shortest. A two-hour connection that survives is better than a 45-minute connection that does not.

What about refunds and rebooking? That part is clearer than the rest. The FAA has said airlines will be required to issue full refunds. What they will not be required to do is cover secondary costs, such as a hotel room, a rental car, or a meal while you wait. This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier. In practice, that means you should not assume the airline will pay for a hotel if you are stuck overnight, even if the cancellation itself was ordered by the government. Keep receipts anyway, and keep any messages the airline sends you. If you booked with a credit card that includes trip delay cover, check what it promises before you travel.

Airlines will usually rebook you on the next available flight, but with fewer seats flying overall, the next available flight may not be for hours, or until the next day. If you are offered a rebooking that does not work, you can ask for a refund instead and book a different airline, though fares on the remaining flights may be higher. Do not wait for the airline to call you. The airlines' apps and websites are usually the fastest way to rebook, and they are worth checking before you join a phone queue or a line at the airport.

What to Do If Your Flight Is Cancelled

The first hour after a cancellation matters more than most people realize. Seats on the next flights go to the travelers who act first. Here is a straightforward plan to follow.

Check your booking status before you leave for the airport. If the flight is cancelled, do not drive to the airport hoping it will be reinstated. Check the airline's app first, and look for a rebooking or refund option there.
Accept or change the rebooking quickly, but read it first. Make sure the new flight works with any connection, hotel check-in, or onward travel. If it arrives too late for your plans, a refund may be the better choice.
Use the app or website to rebook rather than waiting on hold. If you are already at the airport, the gate agent can help, but the queue will be long, and the app may offer the same flights sooner.
Ask for a refund if you no longer want to travel. The FAA has said airlines must issue full refunds for these cancelled flights, and you are not required to accept a voucher or a rebooking you do not want.
Keep every message and receipt. Save the cancellation email or text, and keep receipts for food, transport, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight. Even if the airline is not required to cover secondary costs, your travel insurance or credit card may be.
Check whether your trip still works end to end. A cancelled outbound flight can make a hotel booking or a return flight pointless. Cancel or change those bookings as soon as you know your flight is gone, rather than paying for a room you will never sleep in.
Do not book a new flight until the old one is resolved. If you are holding a rebooking, make sure you know whether the original booking has been cancelled and refunded, or whether you are now holding two bookings for the same trip.

If you are already at the airport when the cancellation lands, stay calm and move fast. Long lines form at customer service desks within minutes. Open the airline's app while you walk, and try to rebook before you join the queue. If you need a hotel, book it early, because other cancelled passengers will be doing the same thing and airport hotels fill up quickly. And if you have checked luggage, ask where your bag is before you leave the airport, because bags on cancelled flights do not always follow their owners.

Thanksgiving Outlook: November 26 Is Coming Fast

The timing could hardly be worse. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the days around it are the busiest travel period of the year in the United States. Millions of people fly home for the holiday, and the airports on the FAA's list are the ones they fly through.

As it stands, the cuts will be at their full 10 percent level well before Thanksgiving, unless the government shutdown ends first. That puts even more pressure on the busiest week of the year. Seats were already scarce for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after it, and the reductions take about 268,000 seats out of the system each day at the full rate. That does not mean Thanksgiving travel is impossible, but it does mean it will take more planning than usual.

If you are flying for Thanksgiving and you have not booked yet, book soon, and think about the shape of your trip rather than just the price. A direct flight is the safest option. If you have to connect, avoid tight connections, and avoid connecting through more than one of the affected airports if you can. Flights on the Tuesday or Thursday itself are often less crowded than the Wednesday before the holiday and the Sunday after it, and if your plans allow it, flying on the holiday itself can be a calmer experience.

If you already hold a Thanksgiving booking through one of the 40 airports, check it at least twice a week from now on, and daily in the week of the holiday. Airlines will be adjusting schedules as the cuts step up from 4 to 6 to 8 to 10 percent, so a flight that looks fine today can be cancelled next week. Set up text alerts from your airline so you hear about a cancellation at home, not at the check-in desk.

It is also worth thinking about what you will do if the worst happens. If you are driving distance from family, know the drive time and which roads you would take. If you are not, think about whether an earlier flight, a different airport, or even a different day would work. Having a plan B sounds unnecessary until the moment you need it, and by then it is too late to make one.

The best-case outcome is still a real possibility. If Congress reaches a deal and the shutdown ends, the FAA can lift the reductions, and the system can get back toward normal. But the longer the shutdown goes on, the closer it gets to Thanksgiving, and the harder it becomes for airlines to recover in time. Do not count on a last-minute deal to save your trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are flights cancelled at all 40 airports, or just the big hubs?

All 40 airports on the FAA's list are affected, from Anchorage and Honolulu to Teterboro and Louisville. The biggest hubs will see the most cancelled flights in absolute terms, because they have the most flights to begin with, but smaller airports on the list are affected too. And even airports that are not on the list can be affected when a flight to or from a listed airport is cancelled.

Will I get a refund if my flight is cancelled?

Yes, if your flight is cancelled. The FAA has said airlines will be required to issue full refunds for these cancellations. You can also usually accept a rebooking instead. What airlines will not be required to do is cover secondary costs, such as a hotel, meals, or ground transport, so keep your receipts and check your travel insurance.

Are international flights affected by the cuts?

The order does not require airlines to cut international flights. But a domestic flight that connects to an international departure can still be cancelled, and that can mean missing your long-haul flight. If you are flying internationally, check the domestic leg of your journey as carefully as the international one, and allow extra connection time.

How long will the flight cuts last?

There is no fixed end date. The cuts are tied to the government shutdown and to safety data. The FAA has said decisions to increase or decrease the reductions will be informed by safety data, and they can be lifted if the shutdown ends and staffing recovers. Until then, the safest assumption is that the cuts will stay in place, and travelers should check their flights regularly.

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