Federal Aviation Administration Orders Ten Percent Cut to Commercial Flights

What Happened?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a ten percent reduction in the volume of commercial air traffic in forty major U.S. markets. If the federal government shutdown is not ended by Friday, the new restrictions will take effect. An FAA spokesman said the new restrictions will be for safety reasons, specifically because the lack of funding due to the government shutdown has created shortages of air traffic controllers.

‘I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,’ FAA head Bryan Bedford told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. 

Why it Matters

A ten percent reduction in the number of daily commercial flights in the U.S. would amount to tens of thousands of fewer seats available for air travelers. Those restrictions would likely mean fewer options for passengers and increased delays and prices for those who continued to fly commercially. In addition, the likelihood of impact on holiday travel would be significant if the flight reductions were to continue until Thanksgiving.

NVIDIA's Next 100X Breakthrough

NVIDIA's revolutionary new invention just paved the way for the U.S. to achieve AGI 30 years early.

And Jeff Brown, the Silicon Valley insider who called NVIDIA in 2016...

Says 7 of NVIDIA's "hidden partners" could skyrocket after Jensen Huang's big announcement as early as January 6, 2026.

Handing early investors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pocket generational wealth in the FINAL wave of America's AI boom.

Click here to see the shocking AI story nobody else is telling you.

Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, issued a statement saying: ‘We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers.’ What that likely means is the details of how the reductions will be spread out across the major carriers are still being worked out. Who gets which flights cut has yet to be determined, but the statement indicates the commercial aviation sector will comply willingly with the new FAA restrictions.

The FAA announcement will likely put more pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown, which is now the longest in American history. Senators from both parties had recently indicated the end may be in sight for the shutdown, but nobody has offered any specifics as to how or when that might happen. President Trump has also weighed in, urging Congress to end the shutdown as soon as possible.

Airlines stand to lose millions in sales from the proposed flight cutbacks, which could lead to layoffs or furloughs for airline employees. The losses would be especially high during Thanksgiving, which is usually one of the busiest travel days of the year. If the cutbacks include cargo flights, freight shipping delays and extra expenses would likely both be felt across the U.S. economy. 

How it Affects You

Airline officials have urged potential air travelers not to book non-refundable tickets for flights scheduled to depart in the next ten days since those flights could be cancelled due to the forthcoming FAA restrictions. If the flight reductions are put in place, tens of thousands of Americans will likely face fewer options, higher prices, and more delays at airports.