The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports across the country, officials announced during a press conference on Wednesday.
The decision could cut thousands of flights per day.
The restrictions will go into effect Friday morning, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The airports that will be impacted will be announced on Thursday, officials said.
Planes taxi past the control tower before takeoff at the Nashville International Airport, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker Iv/AP, FILE
“Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible. Reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations. This is not based on light airline travel locations. This is about where the pressure is and how to really deviate the pressure,” said Bedford.
This comes after Duffy said earlier this week that the FAA will be forced to shut down the airspace in some areas if the shutdown continues into next week.
The forthcoming reduction in capacity marks an unprecedented move by the FAA and the Department of Transportation. Bedford said he has never seen this happen before in his 35-year career.
Both Bedford and Duffy emphasized that the decision to cut down flights is a proactive measure based on data the department has reviewed, and the staffing pressures anticipated to grow during the shutdown. Duffy said the action is being taken to “reduce the risk profile in the national airspace.”
Echoing him. Bedford added, “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent, you know, things from deteriorating. So the system is extremely safe today will be extremely safe tomorrow.”
Bedford said the cuts to each airline’s flight schedules will be proportionate, adding that the agency recognizes there’s “no perfect solution.”
The FAA said it will consider various factors when finalizing the cuts, including airlines that already operate a less-than-daily service at an airport.
Airlines for America, a trade association representing many major U.S. airlines, released a statement after the announcement, saying, “We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that President Donald Trump is aware of the FAA restrictions.
