FAA cuts have turned a shutdown into a traveler pain generator

FAA cuts have turned a shutdown into a traveler pain generator

As of November 9, 2025, 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. The FAA-mandated cuts started at a 4% reduction this weekend and are set to ramp up to 10% by November 14. This is not a single-airport problem — Chicago O'Hare alone saw over 1,000 delays and 320 cancellations, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta logged over 580 delays and nearly 400 cancellations.

New York-area airports are among the hardest hit. Teterboro has an average departure delay exceeding 3 hours, 15 minutes. LaGuardia is averaging more than 2 hours, 30 minutes. Newark is averaging 2 hours, 14 minutes with a maximum delay of 4 hours, 33 minutes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that even ending the shutdown wouldn't immediately restore air traffic controllers — it will take time for them to return to work. He said travel will be "reduced to a trickle" ahead of Thanksgiving, warning many won't make it home for the holiday.

Southwest has already canceled 140 flights Sunday, with roughly 155 more cut for Tuesday to meet FAA requirements. Delta has canceled 320 mainline and 150 connecting flights and is allowing penalty-free changes through the disruption period.

Gobble's Take: When the cuts are scheduled to get worse every two days through mid-November, booking anything near Thanksgiving is a gamble you're likely to lose.

Source: NBC News

New York-area flyers are getting the longest waits

As of November 9, 2025, the FAA says airports in the New York City region are among those with the longest delays — almost all blamed on staffing. At LaGuardia in Queens, the average departure delay is more than 2 hours, 30 minutes. The airport urged travelers to "allow extra time for on-airport travel, check-in and security."

Newark Liberty International 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, 12 miles from New York City, has an average departure delay of more than 3 hours, 15 minutes. 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 that to traveler volume. JFK was not among the worst offenders but still carries an average departure delay of more than an hour.

The disruptions stem from FAA-mandated flight reductions triggered by the record-long government shutdown. More than 7,200 flights have been delayed and over 2,200 canceled nationwide so far this Sunday.

Gobble's Take: If your itinerary touches the New York area, the boarding pass may be optimistic and the clock is definitely rude.

Source: NBC News

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