Restrictions the FAA has on space launches and on general aviation flights at 12 airports will also be lifted.
Flights restrictions that were set to ultimately reach 10% were put in place during the longest government shutdown in history amid concerns about staffing levels of the nation’s air traffic controllers and air traffic safety nationwide.
But once the government shutdown ended, the FAA mandated a 3% reduction over the weekend, down from the 6% reduction that was previously in place.
“Staffing levels have continued to snap back into place since the end of the government shutdown,” the FAA said in a release, noting that “the current data aligns with staffing conditions before the shutdown.”
Record Thanksgiving travelers. Will they fly or drive?
AAA predicts that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, which this year stretches from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1.
The estimate is up 1.6 million travelers over last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record.
But recent flight reductions and delays may cause some Thanksgiving travelers to reconsider how they travel this year.
According to AAA, 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024 And AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel but car.
But those numbers may shift a bit because some people who had planned to fly have already decided to drive or take a bus or train in response to all the recent flight cancellations.
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal opens Tuesday
Although they held a ribbon cutting a few weeks ago, the new $1.7 billion main terminal buidling at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will officially open to the public on Tuesday, November 18.
The Stuck at The Airport team will fly in on that day to be part of the festivities.
We’ll get a first look at all the fresh amenities that are part of the new building, including 12 upgraded security lanes, a new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, outdoor decks, new concessions and lots of locally-made artwork.
A fresh new airport terminal building is always exciting.
But we’re glad to see that some of the ‘old time’ favorite features are making the move to the new terminal.
That includes the PIT’s popular statue of Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris completing the Immaculate Reception.
FRANCO IS ON THE MOVE! He was relocated to our new terminal last night, so you’ll be able to say hi and take all the selfies with our main guy on opening day this Tuesday!
Will air traffic be ‘normal’ now that the government shutdown is over? Not quite yet…
The longest government shutdown is officially over. But the hassle it created for air travelers is not.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) didn’t end the current flight reductions, which were set to go to 8% on Thursday and to 10% on Friday.
Instead, there’s a new emergency order freezing the mandated flight reductions at the current 6% level while the FAA figures out what’s next.
“If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are moving in the right direction, we’ll put forward a path to resume normal operations,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
The 40 affected airports where flight reductions have been mandated remains the same (see below). But cancellations and delays continue to ripple through the entire system.
Early Thursday morning (1 am EST) Flightaware.com was reporting close to 1000 canceled flights within, into or out of the U.S. and about 400 delays for the day.
And getting back to normal won’t be all that easy. Or smooth. Even when the flights reductions are completely lifted.
“Airlines cannot flip a switch and resume normal operations immediately after a vote,” aviation industry group, Airlines for America, noted in a statement shortly before the government shutdown votes were completed, “There will be residual effects for days.”
“High impact” airports with mandated flight reductions
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
On Thursday evening the Federal Aviation Administration shared more details about flight reductions around the country in response to stresses the government shutdown has placed on the national airspace system.
According to the FAA, a 4 percent reduction in flight operations will begin Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14.
The 40 affected high impact airports include, but will likely not be limited to:
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
Late Thursday evening, flight tracking website, Flightaware, showed more than 800 flights already canceled across the country for Friday.
Check your inbox & airline app for updates.
Airlines are posting information about their cuts, as well as any policies on refunds and flexible travel options, on their websites and on social media.
On its site, Alaska Airlines said “Guests whose flights are canceled will be reaccommodated on other flights as available or offered a full refund. Those whose flights are impacted will receive communication directly from Alaska and Hawaiian. We have also issued a flexible travel policy that allows guests to adjust their travel during this uncertain time.”
American Airlines is offering refunds and waiving changes fees for travel to/through or from more than 20 airports.
Delta Air Lines says it is “providing additional flexibility to our customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets to change, cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty during this travel period.”
Frontier Airlines posted an alert saying “customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours (domestic flights) or 6 hours (international flights) can rebook or request a refund.” The carrier has also has issued a flexible travel policy for customers who would like to change or cancel their travel plans.
The JetBlue travel alert says the airline will waive change fees and fare differences for customers travelingnow through Monday, November 10, 2025, to/from 20 cities.
What you need to know about the FAA flight reductions:
• As you may have read in the news, the FAA has directed all airlines to reduce flight schedules beginning Friday, Nov 7. The vast majority of our flights will operate as planned, but if your flight is affected, we’ll reach…
Southwest Airlines shared a travel alert that includes options for travelers whose flights are canceled and for those who flights are not canceled, but choose not to travel. “If you would like to cancel your trip and cancel on or after November 6, 2025, you may request a method-of-payment refund (even for non-refundable fares),” the airline said.
Spirit Airlines’ travel alert states that the airline expects to operate “the vast majority” of its flights and will reach out to customers whose flights are affected.
“If your flight is canceled and you decide not to travel, you will have the option to receive a full refund, or we can rebook you on the next available Spirit flight,” the carrier said.
And United Airlines said it is avoiding cancellations for long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub flights operating between these seven airports: Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington Dulles (IAD).
The carrier also said that “any customer traveling during this mandate is eligible for a refund if they choose not to fly—even if their flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable and Basic Economy tickets.”
Update: FAA-Mandated Flight Reductions
• Flight schedules beginning Friday, Nov. 7 have been adjusted. If you’re traveling this weekend, you can go to the United app right now to check the status of your flight.
• If your flight is impacted, you will be automatically rebooked…
If, like us, you have travel plans over the next few days, here are some tips and strategies that may help you cope.
*Reconsider your plans. If you don’t have to travel right now, consider getting refund on your ticket and booking for another time. Even if your flight is not canceled (yet…) airports are likely to be super stressful places right now.
*Consider driving or taking the train to your destination, if it’s not too far. But check train fares and car rental availability before you cancel your trip. Hertz said today that in the past 2 days, reservations for one-way rentals through the weekend spiked 20% year-over-year.
*Be flexible. If you must travel and your flight is not canceled (yet…) you might consider buying a fully refundable ticket on another airline. Just in case.
*Most airlines have put in place generous offers for refunds and waived change fees. In many cases basic economy and non-refundable tickets are eligible for the offers. Be sure to read the policies carefully, though, before you change your flight.
*Stay alert. Make sure you’ve signed up for and opted in for flight alerts with your airline and refresh you email and airline apps often.
At the airport
*While airlines are trying to be proactive with cancelations, delays and unexpected cancellations are likely to be common over the next few days. Pack your patience.
*But pack light. This would be a good time to work on your packing savvy. Pack as light as you can so you don’t have to check a bag. This can be a life-saver if you need to get re-routed and will, of course, save you time.
*While security checkpoint lines at many airlines are running smoothly, in many places the lines are already long and getting longer. If you’re flying, be sure to get the airport very early and try to be kind to TSA officers working without paychecks and to the stressed people around you.
*As always, arrive at the airport armed with snacks, an empty water bottles, fully charged electronics and power chargers and reading material.
*Tuck away some ‘mad money,’ preferably cash, so if you get very frustrated (or very bored) at the airport you can buy yourself a treat that won’t show up on the credit card bill a month later.
