Trump admin threatens to cancel thousands of flights if shutdown continues, just in time for Thanksgiving

FAA Cancels Flights Ahead of Thanksgiving Due to Government Shutdown

The FAA is reducing flights just before Thanksgiving, adding to the usual holiday travel stress. The U.S. government is in its 36th day of the longest shutdown in history, impacting key transportation operations.

Flight Reductions Announced

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports, Reuters reported exclusively. This measure aims to address safety concerns as essential air traffic control staff and TSA agents continue working without pay.

Impact on Transportation Workers

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents are currently unpaid.
Concerns about air traffic safety have increased during the shutdown period.

"We had a gut check of what is our job," Duffy said. "Our job is to make sure we make the hard decisions to continue to keep the airspace safe."

Exemptions and Officials’ Statements

The FAA confirmed that international flights will not be affected by these cuts.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford noted, "When we see pressures building in these 40 markets, we just can't ignore it."

Political Blame and Worker Hardship

The shutdown has caused tension between Republicans and Democrats, each blaming the other for the impasse. Meanwhile, thousands of federal employees remain unpaid during this extended period.

Summary

The FAA's flight reductions amid the historic government shutdown underscore growing safety concerns and the hardship faced by unpaid federal workers just as holiday travel peaks.

Mashable — 2025-11-06