Airlines canceled 1,200 flights on Tuesday, a sharp improvement from Monday’s 2,400 cancellations, as air traffic control staffing strengthened ahead of a potential end to the record 42-day government shutdown as soon as Wednesday. Delays also dropped dramatically to 1,700 on Tuesday, the industry’s best performance in days.
The FAA last week directed carriers to cut 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports starting November 7, rising to 6% on Tuesday, with reductions slated to reach 8% Thursday and 10% Friday, November 14. Airlines and the FAA are discussing a timeline to scale back and ultimately eliminate the cuts as shutdown negotiations advance.
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to dock the pay of controllers who did not return to work and said he would welcome resignations from those failing to show up, increasing pressure on staffing. Some carriers are pushing back on deeper reductions: United Airlines said Tuesday it will cut about 5% of Thursday flights, below the FAA’s expected 8%.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported a dramatic improvement in staffing—just four issues on Tuesday, down from 81 on Saturday and more than two dozen on Monday. Speaking at Chicago O’Hare, he said flight cuts will be eased “as safety allows,” signaling cautious optimism that the system is stabilizing.
With staffing rebounding and airlines tempering planned cuts, travelers could see further relief if the shutdown formally ends and the FAA rolls back operational restrictions in the coming days.
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