FAA Orders 10% Flight Cuts At 40 U.S. Airports, Starting Today

Published on Nov 7, 2025, 8:30 am CSTUpdated on Nov 7, 2025, 8:48 am CST

5 min read

Key points

FAA issues emergency order reducing scheduled domestic operations at 40 airports
Cuts start at 4% on November 7 and ramp to 10% by November 14 between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. local
International flights are broadly exempt while U.S. carriers publish waivers and refunds
We list all 40 airports, the cutover dates, and direct links to major airline waivers
Travelers should move to earlier departures and pad tight connections

Impact

Earlier Flights Win: Protect connections by moving to first waves of the day where possible
Watch The Ramp Dates: Expect 4% cuts Nov 7, 6% Nov 11, 8% Nov 13, 10% Nov 14 local time windows
Use Waivers Smartly: Change once to a confirmed alternative and avoid voluntary downgrades that void protections
Avoid Fragile Hubs: If options exist, route around the heaviest-hit airports and late bank connections
Build Buffer On Returns: Cruise and long-haul arrivals should add buffer to same-day U.S. domestic connections

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a nationwide, temporary reduction in scheduled domestic flights at 40 "high-impact" airports, effective today, November 7. Carriers must begin with a 4% cut now and reach 10% by November 14, during local hours from 600 a.m. to 1000 p.m. The move responds to controller staffing strain during the government shutdown and aims to manage system risk while preserving safety. U.S. airlines have started publishing customer waivers and refunds to accommodate the changes.

What changed and where

The FAA's emergency order requires U.S. carriers operating under Parts 121 and scheduled 135 to reduce total daily scheduled domestic operations at designated airports to 10% by November 14, with a phased ramp. Enforcement includes potential civil penalties for operating above limits, and the agency can direct cancellations if reductions are not evenly spread across the day. The Department of Justice signaled it is not presently inclined to bring antitrust actions against the temporary, counsel-supervised coordination required solely to meet the order.

Appendix A of the order identifies the 40 affected airports. In alphabetical order by code, they are:

Ramp schedule and hours

Today, November 7, carriers must be down by at least 4% by 600 a.m. EST, stepping to 6% by 600 a.m. EST on November 11, 8% by 600 a.m. EST on November 13, and the full 10% by 600 a.m. EST on November 14. Cuts apply to local operating windows from 600 a.m. to 1000 p.m., and airlines must file rolling seven-day reduction plans with FAA Slot Administration. International flying is generally exempt from the reduction mandate.

Latest developments

Major carriers report they have begun trimming flights and activating flexible policies. Delta says it is complying with the directive beginning November 7 and working to minimize customer impact. United has published a special travel alert and schedule-reduction page, with rolling updates through the ramp period. Alaska has outlined limited cancellations and refund options tied to the order. Southwest is allowing refunds even on nonrefundable fares for qualifying dates under its advisory. Several outlets confirm waivers and free-change policies are being extended as cuts climb from 4% to 10% next week.

Analysis

For travelers, the practical risk is connection fragility as banks compress and aircraft, crews, and gates are re-timed. First-wave departures typically retain better on-time performance in constrained systems, while late-evening banks are more exposed to rolling delays. If your itinerary touches any of the 40 airports, use published waivers to move to earlier departures, avoid minimum connection times, and consider rerouting around the biggest choke points if inventory exists.

Background - how this order works: the FAA sets system-wide operating limitations when safety risk rises. Here, the agency is reducing scheduled volume at specific airports, with carriers required to spread reductions across the day and coordinate only to the extent needed to implement the cuts. The order specifies a phased ramp, rolling seven-day submission of reductions, and potential enforcement for non-compliance, while explicitly keeping normal competition rules in place outside the temporary coordination scope.

Final thoughts

The FAA's emergency order to cut flights by 10% across 40 major U.S. airports will test hub banks and tight connections through November 14 and beyond. Use waivers early, shift to earlier flights, and pad buffer time at the listed airports until normal capacity resumes.