The Federal Aviation Administration said on 13 November it will maintain, rather than expand, the 6 % reduction in scheduled flights at 40 major U.S. airports that was imposed during the 43-day government shutdown.
The agency had warned airlines to brace for cuts up to 10 % as unpaid air-traffic controllers called in sick, but attrition slowed after Congress passed a stop-gap funding bill and back pay began flowing. Over 10,000 flights have been cancelled since early November; Delta and United now expect to restore full timetables “within weeks” if staffing stabilises.
![FAA Keeps 6 % Flight-Cutback Cap as Controllers Return After Shutdown]()
For corporate travel programs, the decision means fewer large-scale schedule changes, but managers should keep waivers handy: ground-delay programs remain in effect at New York, Atlanta and Chicago hubs, and re-timed departures could push same-day connections past legal crew-duty limits.
Looking ahead, airline lobbyists are pressing Congress for automatic appropriations for the FAA to prevent future shutdown disruptions. Mobility teams may wish to codify “government-shutdown clauses” in travel insurance and build extra layover buffers into Q1 2026 itineraries.
The agency had warned airlines to brace for cuts up to 10 % as unpaid air-traffic controllers called in sick, but attrition slowed after Congress passed a stop-gap funding bill and back pay began flowing. Over 10,000 flights have been cancelled since early November; Delta and United now expect to restore full timetables “within weeks” if staffing stabilises.
For corporate travel programs, the decision means fewer large-scale schedule changes, but managers should keep waivers handy: ground-delay programs remain in effect at New York, Atlanta and Chicago hubs, and re-timed departures could push same-day connections past legal crew-duty limits.
Looking ahead, airline lobbyists are pressing Congress for automatic appropriations for the FAA to prevent future shutdown disruptions. Mobility teams may wish to codify “government-shutdown clauses” in travel insurance and build extra layover buffers into Q1 2026 itineraries.
