Flight Delays and Airport Impacts: November 11, 2025

Published on Nov 11, 2025, 9:16 am CST

3 min read

Key points

FAA schedule cuts step up to 6 percent today at 40 high impact airports
Escalation to 10 percent is ordered for November 14 if staffing conditions persist
Pre-dawn cancellations topped 1,100 and delays are building on trunk routes
New York area and Chicago remain pinch points, with lake-effect snow adding friction
Airlines are pre-canceling select flights and waiving change fees on targeted dates

Impact

Capacity Reductions: Plan for smaller schedules and tighter rebooking windows at the 40 airports under FAA limits
Ground Programs: Expect ground stops to shift into ground delay programs through peak banks at New York and other hubs
Connection Risk: Build longer buffers for connections, especially through New York City and Chicago
Rebooking Strategy: Move to earlier flights or alternate airports while inventory is available, use airline waiver pages
International Flights: Most international operations continue, but inbound connections may miss due to domestic metering

The Federal Aviation Administration is enforcing a 6 percent reduction in airline operations today at 40 high impact U.S. airports, part of a stepped plan to manage controller availability during the ongoing federal shutdown. Airlines began trimming schedules on November 7 at 4 percent, with a 10 percent cut ordered to take effect on November 14 if conditions do not improve. Early Tuesday tallies already show more than 1,100 cancellations, and delay programs are rotating through the morning peaks at New York area airports. Travelers should expect longer lines, fewer same-day options, and tighter rebooking windows.

FAA plan and today's posture

The agency's Operations Plan Advisory indicates New York's LaGuardia and Newark have cycled from short ground stops into ground delay programs, a standard tool to meter arrival demand to available staffing and runway capacity. The FAA's emergency order sets the framework for incremental cuts, directing carriers to scale to 6 percent today, then 10 percent on November 14 at the designated airports. FAA briefings also restrict some VFR approaches and push most commercial space operations into overnight windows, which helps preserve controller bandwidth for airline movements.

Latest developments

By about 5:50 a.m. ET, FlightAware reported more than 1,100 cancellations nationwide, with hundreds of additional delays building into the morning push. Newsrooms tracking day 41 of the shutdown report the FAA continuing to cap capacity at 40 major fields, and airlines are publishing pre-cancellation lists and waivers. American Airlines says its Tuesday reductions amount to roughly 200 flights pulled from the schedule to meet the 6 percent requirement. United is listing specific Tuesday cancellations tied to the mandated cuts, which helps travelers verify if their flight was removed versus delayed for weather or rotation.

Analysis

The stepped reductions change the decision tree for travelers. Smaller schedules mean fewer spare seats for rebooking, so proactive moves pay off. If you are connecting through New York City, build an extra hour or more into your buffer, especially during morning and late afternoon banks. If you are crossing the Midwest, lake-effect snow bands around Chicago can stack on to the staffing caps and push arrival metering deeper into the day. If you must travel on Friday, November 14, assume the 10 percent cut will apply, and move to a first departure or a nearby airport while inventory exists. For leisure travelers with flexibility, consider deferring by two to three days until the weekend stabilization window is clearer.

Background Ground stops pause inbound departures when demand outstrips safe throughput. Ground delay programs meter arrivals using controlled departure times from origin airports, smoothing flows into constrained terminal areas. Both are routine tools, but under staffing limits they will appear more often and last longer. The FAA's emergency order gives the system a predictable ramp, which lets airlines reshape schedules and publish waivers in advance rather than canceling ad hoc during a push.

Final thoughts

Today's headline is capacity. With 6 percent reductions active and 10 percent ordered for November 14, plan conservatively, move early, and use airline waiver pages. The primary keyword is flight delays, and the biggest pinch points remain New York and Chicago.