skip to contentAdvertisementThe FAA instructed US airlines to reduce daily flights by 4% across the country from Friday at 40 major airports due to the continued government shutdown leading to air traffic control safety concerns.By: Express Web Desk November 9, 2025 04:58 AM IST First published on: Nov 9, 2025 at 04:58 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookPeople make their way through a terminal at San Diego International Airport in San Diego. (AP Photo)The airlines across the United States cancelled about 1,330 flights on the second day of government-mandated flight cuts across the country on Saturday, and the industry braced for further flight cancellations as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reduce air traffic due to government shutdown, Reuters reported.The FAA instructed US airlines to reduce daily flights by 4% across the country from Friday at 40 major airports due to the continued government shutdown leading to air traffic control safety concerns. The federal shutdown, which began on October 1, has led to a severe shortage of air traffic controllers as they haven’t been paid for weeks.According to flight tracking website FlightAware, nearly 4,000 flights were also delayed on Saturday in the US, down from 7,000 flights on Friday. An AP report stated that the airport operating in Charlotte, North Carolina witnessed a cancellation of 130 arriving and departing flights afternoon on Saturday. It added that airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Newark, New Jersey also saw numerous flights getting delayed and cancelled.Appreciate the question @LelandVittert.Restrictions for private jets are already in place! We’ve reduced their volume at high traffic airports — instead having private jets utilize smaller airports or airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation. That’s only… https://t.co/h0sNyidtBw— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 8, 2025The ongoing staffing shortages in radar centres and control towers are adding to the air traffic woes in US. The flight reduction would rise to 6% on Tuesday before hitting 10% by Friday. A ground delay program was issued by the FAA for several airports on Saturday, with delays averaging for 337 minutes at Atlanta, one of the busiest airports in America.The FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, earlier this week, had said that about 20% to 40% of air traffic controllers are not reporting to duty for work over the past several days. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that he would have to order a potential 20% air traffic cuts if more controllers stop showing up for work due to the shutdown. “I assess the data, we’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace,” Duffy said.(with inputs from agencies)AdvertisementAdvertisementLoading Taboola...