NEW YORK – The Federal Aviation Administration announced this week that it would be cutting air traffic by 10% at 40 high-traffic airports across the U.S. The list, released by the FAA on Thursday, includes four airports in the New York metro area.
FAA flight cuts
What we know:
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the changes on Wednesday. Duffy and Bedford said the cuts are coming because of a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the federal government shutdown, now the longest in American history.
The cuts, Bedford said, are meant to keep air traffic safe, and alleviate the pressure on the system.
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“This is data-based,” Duffy said. “This is not based on what airline travels, has more flights out of what location. This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure.”
John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International and Teterboro Airport will all see decreased traffic because of the cuts.
According to the Associated Press, passengers will start being notified of cancellations starting Thursday. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have both said that they’ll offer refunds to passengers who choose not to fly, even if they purchased previously non-refundable tickets.
FAA airport flight reduction list
Here’s the full list of airports that will have flights cut, according to the Associated Press:
Anchorage International in AlaskaHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in GeorgiaBoston Logan International in MassachusettsBaltimore/Washington International in MarylandCharlotte Douglas International in North CarolinaCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in OhioDallas Love Field in TexasRonald Reagan Washington National in VirginiaDenver International in ColoradoDallas/Fort Worth International in TexasDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County in MichiganNewark Liberty International in New JerseyFort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in FloridaHonolulu International in HawaiiHouston Hobby in TexasWashington Dulles International in VirginiaGeorge Bush Houston Intercontinental in TexasIndianapolis International in IndianaJohn F. Kennedy International in New YorkHarry Reid International Airport in Las VegasLos Angeles International in CaliforniaLaGuardia Airport in New YorkOrlando International in FloridaChicago Midway International in IllinoisMemphis International in TennesseeMiami International in FloridaMinneapolis/St Paul International in MinnesotaOakland International in CaliforniaOntario International in CaliforniaChicago O`Hare International in IllinoisPortland International in OregonPhiladelphia International in PennsylvaniaPhoenix Sky Harbor International in ArizonaSan Diego International in CaliforniaLouisville International in KentuckySeattle/Tacoma International in WashingtonSan Francisco International in CaliforniaSalt Lake City International in UtahTeterboro in New JerseyTampa International in Florida
By the numbers:
JFK, LaGuardia and Newark served more than 145 million passengers in 2024, according to data from Airports Council International – North America.
The backstory:
Even before the federal government shut down, the U.S. was suffering from a shortage of air traffic controllers. Since the shutdown began, air traffic controllers have gone without pay. Duffy said that an increasing number of controllers are calling out of work,Â
What’s next:
Flights will be cut starting Friday, Nov. 7. Duffy and Bedford said traffic will continue to be limited for the remainder of the government shutdown, and that if the air traffic controller shortage persists or gets worse, they will implement more cuts.
What we don’t know:
It’s not clear what airlines or routes will be subject to cuts, though Duffy and Bedford said on Wednesday that they would try and make cuts as equitable as possible. United has said that their international and long haul flights won’t be impacted.
The Source: Information in this story is from a Nov. 5 press conference from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford, the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 NY reports.