What to know
- More than 7,200 flights have been delayed and 2,200 canceled so far Sunday after reductions went into effect Friday at 40 high-traffic airports, in what officials say is an attempt to relieve pressure amid the record-long government shutdown.
- The FAA-mandated flight cancellations mean a 4% reduction this weekend. It will ramp up to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13, and up to 10% by Nov. 14.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that an end to the government shutdown would not immediately restore air traffic controllers because it will take time for them all to return to work.
- Duffy on Sunday said that travel will be "reduced to a trickle" ahead of Thanksgiving, warning that many will not be able to spend the holiday with their families.
New York City-area travelers suffer some of the longest delays
Among airports with the longest delays — almost all blamed on staffing — are those in the New York City region, according to Federal Aviation Administration advisories.
At LaGuardia in Queens, the average delay for a departing flight is more than 2 hours, 30 minutes, the FAA says. The airport said on X early today that an “increased number of travelers” would affect flight times.
It urged travelers to “allow extra time for on-airport travel, check-in and security.”
Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, subject of an FAA ground delay notice today, has an average flight delay of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and a maximum delay of 4 hours, 33 minutes, according to the FAA.
Teterboro Airport, also in New Jersey and 12 miles from New York City, has an average departure delay of more than 3 hours, 15 minutes, according to the FAA.
Westchester County Airport, about 30 miles north of the city, has an average departure delay of more than 1 hour, 30 minutes, though the FAA attributes this to traveler volume.
John F. Kennedy International Airport was not among the airports with the longest delays, but still has an average departure delay of more than an hour, FAA events postings show.
Flight delays pass 7,200, cancellations at more than 2,190
As of this evening, over 7,200 flights traveling into, from and within the U.S. have been delayed and almost 2,200 have been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
Over 1,000 flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport have been delayed and 320 have been canceled. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, over 580 flights have been delayed and almost 400 were canceled.
Long check-in lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport
Video posted on TikTok showed long check-in lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 4 today.
Lines looping around the check-in desks could be seen at the terminal, where Delta, Emirates and KLM airlines operate their flights.
Southwest Airlines cancels more flights for Tuesday
Southwest Airlines said it canceled more flights for Tuesday in order to satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration's flight reduction mandate triggered by the government shutdown.
"Sunday’s initial cancellations totaled 140. For Monday, we removed roughly 140 flights from the schedule, climbing to 155 on Tuesday to meet the FAA’s requirements," the airline said.
According to FlightAware.com, the airline has delayed over 1,560 flights so far today and canceled 151.
"The vast majority of our Customers’ flights will not be disrupted, and Southwest has contacted Customers with flight cancellations via the contact information they provided at booking," the airline said in a statement.
Southwest customers with flights through Wednesday can adjust their travel plans at no cost, the airline said.
Jeffries says he hopes shutdown will end before Thanksgiving
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he hopes the government shutdown will end before Thanksgiving.
"Donald Trump needs to get off the golf course and get back to the negotiating table," Jeffries said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Jeffries also said he would not vote to reopen the government in exchange for the promise of a vote on Obamacare subsidies.
"I don’t think that the House Democratic Caucus is prepared to support a promise, a wing and a prayer, from folks who have been devastating the health care of the American people for years," he said.
Video shows long TSA line at Orlando International Airport
Video posted to TikTok showed what one user called a very long TSA line at Orlando International Airport on Sunday morning.
"Longest TSA wait I’ve ever seen," the user wrote. "Thanks to the government shutdown, these lines are backed up BIG time. If you’re flying out of Orlando, get there way early."
Over 400 flights were delayed at the airport, and almost 60 were canceled by Sunday afternoon, according to FlightAware.com.
Additional delays and cancellations expected today, per Delta
While all Federal Aviation Administration-ordered flight reductions through Tuesday have already been made, more delays and cancellations could be expected today, Delta Air Lines said in a statement.
Delta said staffing is the reason for the potential disruptions. The airline has already canceled 320 mainline and 150 connecting flights as of 12:00 p.m. ET today.
"Canceling a flight is always a last resort after all options have been exhausted," Delta said, adding that it's allowing customers to change, cancel or refund their flights without penalties.
Video shows crowded terminal at Atlanta airport amid flight reductions
Video posted to TikTok today showed a crowded terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
According to the video, the wait at the customs line exceeded three hours, regardless of Global Entry, and many flights were delayed or canceled.
Over 450 flights were delayed and 381 were canceled at the airport by this afternoon, according to FlightAware.com.
U.S. could see negative economic impact if holiday travel is down, National Economic Council director says
The U.S. could see negative economic impacts from reduced holiday travel, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.
"But the fact is that Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest times of the year for the economy," Hassett said on CBS' "Face the Nation" today. "It's, you know, Black Friday and all that kind of stuff. And if people aren't traveling at that moment, then we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter."
Earlier today, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said travel will be "reduced to a trickle" ahead of Thanksgiving, warning that many will not be able to spend the holiday with their families.
Travel of over 4 million passengers disrupted since start of government shutdown
The travel of over 4 million passengers flying on Airlines for America (A4A) member airlines has been disrupted from the start of the government shutdown on Oct. 1 to Friday, according to the Airlines for America.
Airlines for America members include Delta, American, Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines.
"During the first 29 days of the shutdown, A4A member airlines canceled just 11 flights due to controller staffing issues; over the ensuing nine days, however, controller staffing issues caused them to cancel 1,271, including 865 on Nov. 7," the association said.
The association estimates that there will be a "daily U.S. economic impact of $285M-580M" when the Federal Aviation Administration-mandated flight reductions reach 10%.
"The estimate is tied solely to compliance with the flight-reduction directive; it does not include the ongoing staffing issues during the shutdown, the costs associated with the value of passenger time, reduced bookings, passenger refunds, etc.," the association said.
