United Airlines will begin reducing flight schedules on Friday, November 7, following directives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) requiring all carriers to cut capacity across 40 domestic airports during the ongoing government shutdown. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Scott Kirby informed employees that the airline shares the FAA’s goal of maintaining safety as the highest priority while continuing operations.
The FAA order responds to air traffic control staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown, which has entered its 36th day and become the longest in United States history. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners are among essential government employees required to work without pay during the shutdown, leading to increasing callouts and morale challenges.
United will preemptively cancel approximately 200 flights starting Friday, representing roughly four percent of the airline’s daily schedule and comprising mostly regional flights. Kirby stated in his employee memo that the airline will continue making rolling updates to the schedule as the shutdown continues, providing customers several days’ advance notice to minimize disruption for travelers and employees.
The CEO emphasized that United’s long haul international flying and hub to hub flying will not face reductions from this FAA directive. He explained that preserving these routes remains important to maintain network integrity, provide impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trips, and sustain crew pairing systems. The strategic decision protects United’s most critical route network while complying with federal safety requirements.
United’s hub airports include Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, San Francisco International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport. Flights connecting these major facilities will continue operating normally despite the broader schedule reductions.
Instead, United will focus schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between hubs. David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, stated the airline is being thoughtful about which flights to cancel, with early action and communication being key to helping customers avoid being stranded. The company aims to provide proactive cancellations several days ahead to give customers time to plan ahead.
The airline will communicate directly with customers through its app, website, and push notifications if their flights change, offering rebooking options immediately. Kirby emphasized the company wants to provide as much information as possible in a simple, easy to understand format. The communication strategy reflects lessons learned from previous operational disruptions where clear, timely customer information proved essential.
All customers traveling during this period qualify for refunds if they choose not to fly, even if their specific flight remains unaffected. This policy extends to non refundable tickets and basic economy fares, which typically carry the most restrictive change and cancellation policies. The expanded refund eligibility provides flexibility unprecedented for many fare classes that normally prohibit refunds under any circumstances.
Even with schedule reductions, United and its United Express partners will still offer approximately 4,000 flights per day to transport customers to their destinations. Kirby noted that the early November timing means flights have more available seats than during summer peak season, potentially allowing the airline to accommodate many customers even if their original flight gets canceled through rebooking on other services.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that flight capacity would be reduced by 10 percent at 40 high volume markets, affecting roughly 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated the agency was implementing proactive measures after seeing pressure build in ways that, if left unchecked, would compromise the FAA’s ability to tell the public it operates the world’s safest airline system.
Airlines were told to cut four percent of flights at designated airports starting Friday, increasing by one percent each day the shutdown continues. Multiple airline officials described treating the government mandated scaling back like mass cancellations during major winter storms, though the impacts will spread across multiple cities rather than concentrating in one geographic region.
The 40 affected airports include major hubs in Atlanta, Dallas, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Newark, Phoenix, and Washington, DC, along with cargo heavy facilities in Louisville, Memphis, Anchorage, and Ontario, California. The FAA’s Core 30 high traffic airports comprise the majority of facilities facing reductions, though the agency added 10 additional airports including sites in Indianapolis, Portland, Oregon, and Anchorage, Alaska.
More than 400 staffing shortages have been reported at FAA facilities since the shutdown began, representing more than four times what was seen on the same days last year. The system was already more than 3,000 certified controllers short even before the shutdown, with mandatory overtime and stagnating wages contributing to low morale across the agency.
Air traffic controllers interviewed by National Public Radio earlier this week described reaching a tipping point similar to what occurred during the 2018 to 2019 government shutdown, when sick callouts caused major disruptions at East Coast airports. Controllers expressed concerns about going longer without paychecks while facing increasingly difficult working conditions, though they requested anonymity due to fears of FAA retaliation.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy endorsed the flight reductions Thursday, posting on social media that reducing flights represents proper safety management and the foundation of the aviation system. She referenced the NTSB’s repeated statements that low air traffic control staffing levels, mandatory overtime, and six day work weeks directly impact safety.
American Airlines expects the vast majority of its customers’ travel to proceed as planned, with approximately 220 flights canceled daily from Friday through Monday, representing a four percent reduction at the 40 designated airports. Southwest Airlines will cancel around 100 flights Friday, with the airline urging Congress to immediately resolve its impasse while determining additional schedule adjustments needed to meet FAA requirements.
Delta Air Lines preemptively canceled roughly 170 mainline and regional flights on Friday, providing additional flexibility for all customers during the impacted travel period to change, cancel, or refund flights without penalty, including basic economy fares. Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle warned passengers to book backup tickets on other carriers for essential travel like weddings or funerals, cautioning that chances of being stranded are high if flights get canceled.
Airlines for America, the industry trade group, stated carriers are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate while striving to mitigate impacts on passengers and shippers. The group emphasized airlines received only about an hour’s notice before the FAA publicly announced the capacity reduction plan, leaving limited time to develop operational responses.
Travel experts recommend consumers stay on top of flight cancellations and delays through airline websites and mobile apps. Nick Ewen, senior editorial director at travel site The Points Guy, advised that flexibility will be key as travelers rush to rebook, emphasizing the importance of downloading each airline’s mobile app and enabling all notifications for individual trips to receive timely alerts about changes or disruptions.
TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned Thursday that as the shutdown persists, wait times will continue experiencing significant impacts amid officer callouts. He advised travelers to arrive at checkpoints two to three hours early, consistent with long standing procedures, noting some airports like Houston, Los Angeles International, and Orlando may experience even longer waits. He urged patience with TSA officers doing their best under difficult circumstances.
Kirby concluded his employee message by thanking United team members for going above and beyond during the government shutdown to care for customers and one another. He emphasized that their professionalism and care will prove more important than ever in the days ahead as the airline navigates unprecedented operational challenges while maintaining its safety first culture.
The flight reductions represent an unprecedented action in aviation industry history. FAA Administrator Bedford stated he has never seen such measures implemented during his entire career in the industry. The situation underscores the critical relationship between government operations and commercial aviation, with federal workforce challenges directly impacting millions of travelers nationwide.
Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Duffy warned on CNBC that he could shut down the entire airspace if the shutdown drags on further, though he chose the 10 percent reduction as the appropriate response based on current pressure levels. The statement signals potential for additional restrictions if staffing situations deteriorate or safety indicators worsen beyond current projections.
The shutdown’s duration now exceeds the previous record set during the 2018 to 2019 impasse, which lasted 35 days and similarly stressed air traffic control systems. That earlier shutdown ended abruptly after sick callouts at key facilities caused cascading delays affecting major East Coast airports, demonstrating how quickly aviation system strain can force political action.