Thousands of flights are being canceled across 40 major U.S. airports due to a government shutdown. Air traffic controllers working without pay are facing fatigue, forcing the FAA to implement drastic schedule cuts.

The United States faces an unprecedented travel nightmare as the ongoing government shutdown forces the Federal Aviation Administration

to cancel thousands of flights at 40 major airports nationwide, sparking what aviation experts are calling an “unholy mess” in the skies just as the holiday season kicks off.

Starting Friday, the FAA’s sweeping cutbacks will hit airports in the country’s six largest cities, including New York’s JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty, as well as hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Denver.

The agency cited growing strain among air traffic controllers, who have been working unpaid since the shutdown began October 1, often clocking six-day workweeks and mandatory overtime.

With some calling in sick, picking up second jobs, or struggling to cover childcare and gas costs, staffing shortages have already triggered delays at multiple airports.

“This is going to be an unholy mess over the next few days if these cuts go through,” said airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt.

The extraordinary measure, announced Wednesday by FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, comes as the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily.

Bedford acknowledged the airline industry is entering uncharted territory, warning that safety concerns are driving the unprecedented slowdown.

“We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns. I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market of a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” he said.

President Trump, meeting with Republican senators earlier in the week, called for an immediate reopening of the government, blaming the ongoing shutdown for recent GOP election losses.

The FAA’s reductions are designed to maintain safe operations amid growing controller fatigue. Pilots’ voluntary safety reports have highlighted rising stress levels, prompting Bedford and Duffy to act proactively rather than wait for a disaster.

“We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to manifest when the early indicators tell us we can act today to prevent deterioration,” Bedford said.

The cutbacks could impact as many as 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats across the 40 airports, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm. Chicago O’Hare alone could see up to 121 flights canceled on Friday if reductions are distributed evenly.

Airlines are scrambling to adjust schedules, a task complicated by the short notice; Harteveldt criticized the FAA for giving carriers just 48 hours to reorganize flights originally planned months in advance.

United, Southwest, and American Airlines have pledged to minimize passenger disruptions. United CEO Scott Kirby said the cuts will focus on regional and non-hub flights, while long-haul international and hub-to-hub services will remain largely unaffected.

Airlines are offering refunds to passengers even if their flights are not canceled and working to reschedule affected travelers.

Last weekend illustrated the impact of the staffing shortages, with at least 39 air traffic control facilities reporting limited staffing, far above the pre-shutdown weekend average of 8.3 facilities.

Since October 1, the average has more than tripled to 26.2 facilities, highlighting the growing operational strain.

To cope with reduced staffing, the FAA has implemented a major airspace flow program, controlling and spacing out flights across U.S. airspace up to 60,000 feet.

This measure affects arrivals and departures nationwide and is designed to maintain safety despite limited controller capacity.

Transportation Secretary Duffy warned that if the shutdown continues, “mass chaos” could ensue, with some parts of national airspace potentially closed. “We just cannot manage it,” he said. “We will restrict the airspace when we feel it’s unsafe.”

The FAA estimates that roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents have been working without pay for weeks. Even before the shutdown, the agency faced a chronic shortage of about 3,000 controllers.

Airlines and aviation unions have repeatedly pressed Congress to end the stalemate, citing safety risks and operational impacts.

While the shutdown has yet to severely impact airline revenue, it has disrupted travel for millions. More than 3.2 million passengers have experienced delays or cancellations since the start of the shutdown.

On Wednesday alone, over 2,100 flights were delayed. Analysts warn that prolonged uncertainty could affect future bookings, as travelers lose confidence in on-time operations.

AAA urges passengers to stay vigilant, checking airline apps and airport social media for updates, and to allow extra time for travel. “It’s frustrating because there’s not much you can do,” said AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz. “At the end of the day, you either fly or you don’t.”

Airlines are adjusting aggressively. United, for instance, is focusing cuts on routes that don’t affect the core hub network, ensuring operational integrity while giving passengers as many rescheduling options as possible.

Refunds are being offered broadly, even to travelers whose flights aren’t immediately impacted.

Industry observers note that the Trump administration may be leveraging aviation safety as a bargaining chip to pressure lawmakers to resolve the shutdown.

However, the result is already tangible: passengers face widespread cancellations, airlines are forced to restructure complex schedules, and U.S. airspace faces unprecedented constraints.

With Congress at an impasse over healthcare and budget issues, now in the 36th day of the shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—the stakes are rising.

Airlines, travelers, and aviation safety experts are bracing for more disruption, warning that without swift action, the holiday travel season could be plunged into chaos.

The full list of affected airports includes major hubs from Anchorage to Tampa, encompassing Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and more.

Travelers are urged to monitor schedules and prepare for delays, as the U.S. aviation system grapples with the ripple effects of a government gridlock now making history in both Washington and the skies above.