U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford conduct a press briefing at the U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters on Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared on Wednesday afternoon that he will implement a 10% reduction in flight capacity at 40 major airports starting Friday morning, impacting approximately 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily.
It was not immediately evident which airports would be impacted.
“This is a proactive measure,” Duffy stated during the news conference.
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford indicated that further steps might be necessary following the initial reduction.
“As we analyze the data in more detail, we are noticing pressures escalate in a manner that, if left unchecked, we do not believe will allow us to maintain the public’s perception that we operate the safest airline system in the world,” Bedford remarked on Wednesday.
Bedford also mentioned that the administration plans to consult with the airline community to determine how to proceed with the reduction, which he stated has never occurred during his tenure in the industry.
The government shutdown, now reaching its 36th full day on Wednesday, has become the longest in U.S. history.
Duffy stated he anticipates more cancellations resulting from the reduction, which has no defined endpoint. “We believed that a 10% reduction was appropriate based on the pressures we observed,” Duffy added.
This action follows reports that air traffic controllers have missed their paychecks due to the government shutdown. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration screeners are among the essential government workers required to be on duty during the shutdown.
The shutdown has raised alarms about already limited staffing among air traffic controllers, as noted by the FAA. Inadequate staffing at certain FAA facilities has caused flight disruptions since Oct. 1.
Earlier this week, Duffy informed CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he might “shut down the entire airspace” if the shutdown continues.
On Wednesday morning, National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels told CNBC‘s “Squawk Box” that it could require “weeks to recover” from the effects of the government shutdown on air traffic controllers.
