These 40 Airports Will See Flights Cut by 10%. It Started Friday.

Travelers walk through a TSA security checkpoint in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 1. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Key Points

• The FAA is cutting flights by 10% at 40 airports, starting with a 4% reduction on Friday before increasing next week.
• Flight reductions are a proactive measure due to air-traffic controller fatigue and increased sick calls during the shutdown.
• Affected airports were selected based on pilot safety reports indicating high pressure on specific flight hubs.

The Federal Aviation Administration has released the final list of the 40 airports across the U.S where flight cuts have begun.

The cuts will be phased in, starting at 4% Friday, before ramping up to 10% by Nov. 14.

The cuts are due to “issues of fatigue” that air-traffic controllers are experiencing during the shutdown, FAA administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters Wednesday after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the cuts.

The agency chose the affected airports based on data showing which flight hubs are experiencing the most pressure based on voluntary safety disclosure reports from pilots.

Having worked without pay since Oct. 1, some controllers have been calling in sick, which has led to increased flight delays in recent weeks.

It is worth noting that growing flight delays and temporary ground stops at major airports immediately preceded the end of the now second-longest shutdown, in late 2018 and early 2019. The controllers also sued the government for not being paid during that shutdown.

A 15th vote to continue funding the government in the Senate today is expected to fail, meaning that airport chaos will continue through the weekend. Shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, more that 1,200 flights into and out of the U.S. had been delayed, with another 1,100 canceled, according to data from FlightAware.

“These are proactive measures,” Bedford added, saying the national airspace is safe.

Here are the affected airports:

1. Anchorage International in Alaska
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
7. Dallas Love Field in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International in Hawaii
15. William P. Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International in New York
20. Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada
21. Los Angeles International in California
22. LaGuardia Airport in New York
23. Orlando International in Florida
24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois
25. Memphis International in Tennessee
26. Miami International in Florida
27. Minneapolis—St. Paul International in Minnesota
28. Oakland International in California
29. Ontario International in California
30. Chicago O’Hare International in Illinois
31. Portland International in Oregon
32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
34. San Diego International in California
35. Louisville International in Kentucky
36. Seattle—Tacoma International in Washington
37. San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro in New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida

Write to Anita Hamilton at anita.hamilton@barrons.com