The Federal Aviation Administration said it will reduce flight capacity by up to 10% at 40 major airports nationwide beginning tomorrow morning, citing staffing pressures and safety concerns tied to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The cuts will start at 4% tomorrow and phase up to 10% over several days, impacting flights scheduled between 6am and 10pm. The list of affected airports includes Washington’s Dulles International and Regan National Airports, all three New York City-area airports (JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark), Los Angeles International, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, San Francisco, and Boston Logan, as well as major hubs in Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Miami, Seattle, and Phoenix. Multiple airlines are offering refunds and free flight changes to passengers whose travel plans are impacted by the new FAA restrictions. As of 3:20 PM today, 4,146 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed.
