40 airports across the nation will be hit with flight cuts as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduces air traffic amid the government shutdown, per the Associated Press.

On Wednesday (November 5), the FAA announced that it will reduce air traffic by 10 percent across major U.S. airports on Friday (November 7) due to staffing shortages and fatigue among air traffic controllers who have been working without pay during the government shutdown.

The reductions, affecting airports in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, and more than two dozen other markets, mark the largest nationwide flight cuts in decades.

In a statement, the FAA said the move was necessary to preserve safety in the airspace system as controllers continue to miss paychecks due to the shutdown.

“We can’t ignore the strain our controllers are under,” FAA Administrator Michael Bedford said in a statement. “Safety remains our top priority, and these adjustments are a last resort to protect both passengers and personnel.”

The cuts could impact as many as 1,800 flights and more than 260,000 passenger seats nationwide, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Passengers are expected to start receiving cancellation notifications as early as Thursday (November 6).

United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines said they would prioritize smaller regional routes for reduction and would offer refunds to passengers who choose not to travel, even for nonrefundable tickets.

On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the strain on the system is “unsustainable” and urged Congress to end the shutdown immediately.

“If this continues another week, we could see chaos in the skies,” Duffy said outside the White House. “Controllers can miss one paycheck. They can’t miss two.”

Airlines recommend checking flight status regularly and arriving early for weekend travel.

“Even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the system won’t bounce back immediately,” Bedford said. “Controllers need time to rest, reset, and safely manage traffic again.”

See the full list of airports where flight cuts will take effect below.

ANC – Anchorage International

ATL – Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International

BOS – Boston Logan International

BWI – Baltimore/Washington International

CLT – Charlotte Douglas International

CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International

DAL – Dallas Love Field

DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National

DEN – Denver International

DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International

DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County

EWR – Newark Liberty International

FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International

HNL – Honolulu International

HOU – Houston Hobby

IAD – Washington Dulles International

IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental

IND – Indianapolis International

JFK – John F. Kennedy International

LAS – Las Vegas Harry Reid International

LAX – Los Angeles International

LGA – LaGuardia Airport

MCO – Orlando International

MDW – Chicago Midway International

MEM – Memphis International

MIA – Miami International

MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International

OAK – Oakland International

ONT – Ontario International

ORD – Chicago O’Hare International

PDX – Portland International

PHL – Philadelphia International

PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International

SAN – San Diego International

SDF – Louisville International

SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International

SFO – San Francisco International

SLC – Salt Lake City International

TEB – Teterboro Airport

TPA – Tampa International

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