U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford have announced measures to support continued safety in the national airspace system, including a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.
The decision follows reports of strain on air traffic operations as controllers continue to work during the government shutdown.
Under the new order, a phased reduction in flight operations began Friday, November 7, with a 4 percent reduction that will increase to 10 percent by November 14. The FAA will monitor system data and adjust the measures as needed.
Additional steps outlined in the order include:
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Prohibiting some visual flight rule (VFR) approaches at facilities with staffing constraints.
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Limiting commercial space launches and reentries to between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time.
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Restricting parachute operations and aerial photography missions near affected facilities.
These measures are based on the FAA’s review of operational and safety data, including reports from pilots and air traffic controllers indicating increased system stress.
Airlines will be required to issue full refunds for canceled flights but are not obligated to cover secondary costs, consistent with existing procedures. The order does not mandate reductions in international flights, and carriers will determine which flights to cancel in order to meet the required reductions.
The FAA stated that decisions to modify these reductions will continue to be guided by safety data.
The 40 affected airports include:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
BOS – Boston Logan International Airport
BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport
CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Field
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
DEN – Denver International Airport
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport
FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
HNL – Honolulu International Airport
HOU – William P. Hobby Airport
IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
IND – Indianapolis International Airport
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
MCO – Orlando International Airport
MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport
MEM – Memphis International Airport
MIA – Miami International Airport
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
OAK – Oakland International Airport
ONT – Ontario International Airport
ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport
PDX – Portland International Airport
PHL – Philadelphia International Airport
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
SAN – San Diego International Airport
SDF – Louisville International Airport
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
SFO – San Francisco International Airport
SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport
TEB – Teterboro Airport
TPA – Tampa International Airport
The original announcement can be found here.