by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
November 9, 2025
Ticket-holders should be wary of mass flight cancellations ahead of holiday travel.
Flight cancellations skyrocket to over 1,500 as the government shutdown continues on.
With thousands of delays as well, air travelers are feeling the woes at the airport. Many feel worrisome before and after arriving to the airport on if they will make it to their destination on time, or even at all.
The late evening of Nov. 8 saw 1,521 flights nixed from the schedules of major airliners, such as Delta, United, and American. According to ABC News, this figure has already surpassed the previous day’s 1,024 cancellations. With over 6,400 additional delays, flying during this typically popular travel season has felt like a nightmare to many.
The cancellations follow a government order to reduce 10% of flight traffic in the skies as the shutdown has sparked staffing shortages, particularly from Air Traffic Control. By that same evening, more than 40 ATC staffing triggers occurred across the United States, sparking delays amid the mandated cancellation.
However, experts warned that even more reductions could happen if the government does not reopen. As America gets ready for its busy holiday travel, the increased flight cancellations could cause chaos at airports nationwide. Thus far, the mandate has mainly subjected 40 major airports to the new restrictions, including airline hubs at ATL, LAX, and JFK, among others.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared his own hope to get the government back on track to avoid further decline. Duffy warned that the agency could require airlines to reduce flights to over 10% if the shutdown continues.
My hope is that this government shutdown will end soon and we can get back in the business of letting Americans travel,” Duffy said in a Nov. 7 interview with ABC News Live.
Airport workers from TSA to the ATC have gone without a full paycheck since the Oct. 1 shutdown. The lack of pay has resulted in many calling out, often due to the inability to afford reporting for duty.
This has primarily impacted the top airlines within the U.S. Delta has seen the most flight cancellations, axing 7% of its initial flight roster. American, United, and Southwest have had 3% of their flights cancelled. All the airlines have ranged from 25 to 30% of delays in total.
Fortunately, those flying internationally will have their trips prioritized and less affected by the reduction mandate. Duffy said agreements with international hubs have prevented them from removing these flights from airline schedules.
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