FAA Announces 10% Air Traffic Reduction at 40 Airports Due to Shutdown

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on November 6, 2025, that the Federal Aviation Administration would implement a 10% reduction in U.S. air traffic across 40 airports in the coming days due to severe air traffic controller shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. The unprecedented measure came as air traffic controllers entered their sixth week working without pay, with many receiving another $0 paycheck while working 60-hour weeks, six days a week. A top air traffic controller union leader reported unprecedented resignation rates as controllers faced impossible choices between their critical safety responsibilities and their families’ financial survival.

The shutdown’s impact on the FAA exemplified the administration’s disregard for essential safety systems. Air traffic controllers—deemed essential workers required to work without pay—continued managing the nation’s airspace while facing mortgage payments, childcare costs, and basic expenses without income. Many took second jobs at restaurants or drove for Uber and DoorDash between shifts to cover necessities. The forced traffic reduction threatened to disrupt travel for millions of Americans heading into the holiday season, with delays and cancellations cascading through the aviation system as fewer flights could be safely managed with reduced controller staffing.

The FAA’s traffic reduction announcement came while the Trump administration simultaneously fought to expand Starlink’s role in FAA communications infrastructure—creating a conflict of interest where Elon Musk’s companies stood to benefit from the degradation of existing aviation safety systems. Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration had fired hundreds of FAA air traffic control staff while bringing in SpaceX engineers as “Special Government Employees,” and the FAA had approved shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals while considering canceling a $2.4 billion Verizon contract. The shutdown’s assault on FAA operations accelerated this institutional capture, weakening the agency’s capacity while positioning Musk’s companies as the solution to manufactured crises.

The 10% traffic reduction represented a failure of governance that directly threatened public safety. Air travel depends on sufficient, trained, and focused air traffic controllers maintaining separation between aircraft. By forcing controllers to work for six weeks without pay while many struggled with financial hardship, the administration created conditions that increased fatigue, stress, and the risk of catastrophic errors. The traffic reduction acknowledged this reality but did nothing to address the underlying problem: a president using a government shutdown to extract political concessions regardless of the impacts on essential safety systems, federal workers, or the traveling public.