{"686312":{"#nid":"686312","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What to Know as Hundreds of Flights are Grounded Across the US","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022theconversation-article-body\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMajor airports across the United States were subject to \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/live-blog\/faa-flights-canceled-airports-government-shutdown-live-updates-rcna242483\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ea 4% reduction in flights\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Nov. 7, 2025, as the government shutdown began to affect travelers.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe move by the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFederal Aviation Administration\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is intended to ease pressure on air traffic controllers, many of whom have been \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.natca.org\/2025\/10\/24\/americas-air-traffic-controllers-to-receive-first-0-paycheck-on-oct-28-2\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eworking for weeks without pay\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E after the government shut down on Oct. 1. While nonessential employees were furloughed, workers deemed essential, such as air traffic controllers, have continued to do their jobs.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBut what does that mean for the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/air_traffic\/by_the_numbers\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Emany Americans\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E who take to the skies every day? To find out, The Conversation U.S. spoke with \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/laurie-garrow\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELaurie A. Garrow\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, a civil aviation expert at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Do We Know About the FAA\u2019s Plans So Far?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first thing to note is that things can change fast. But as of this morning, 4% of flights are being canceled across 40 \u201chigh-volume\u201d airports. The list is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/newsroom\/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-faa-administrator-bryan-bedford-outline-series\u0022\u003Epublicly available\u003C\/a\u003E, but it includes most of the big hubs across the United States, such as Atlanta, New York\u2019s airports, Chicago O\u0027Hare, Los Angeles International and Dallas\/Fort Worth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\u0022tc-infographic-datawrapper\u0022 style=\u0022border-width:0;\u0022 id=\u0022jWZJd\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/jWZJd\/2\/\u0022 height=\u0022400px\u0022 width=\u0022100%\u0022 scrolling=\u0022no\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe plan is to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/faa-nationwide-flight-cuts-due-to-shutdown-now-in-effect\u0022\u003Eramp this up to 10% by Nov. 14\u003C\/a\u003E should the shutdown extend that long.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe FAA, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the airlines are working together on the details of which flights and routes are affected \u2013 and this will no doubt be monitored as the days go on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut they are trying to make the cancellations in a way that cause the least disruption to customers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo we are looking at cuts to domestic, not international, flights \u2013 flights across the Atlantic, Pacific and to Latin America are not, for now at least, subject to cuts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 4% of cancellations we are seeing are really targeting the high-frequency routes. This should help mitigate the impact. For example, typically American Airlines flies nine flights a day from Miami to Orlando, but \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/video\/2025\/11\/07\/american-airlines-ceo-robert-isom-on-flight-cancellations-we-dont-need-to-be-in-this-position.html\u0022\u003Ethey are planning to fly eight\u003C\/a\u003E this weekend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd carriers are looking at reducing regional flights. For example, my mom lives near Erie, Pennsylvania, where American Airlines \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.erieairport.org\/flights\/airlines-and-destinations\u0022\u003Eflies three daily flights\u003C\/a\u003E to their hub in Charlotte \u2013 I would expect that to go down to two, or one.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the FAA was clear that it wasn\u2019t going to cut flights to markets entirely, just reduce them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Will This Mean for Existing Flights?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor starters, you are going to see more passengers on them. It is fortunate that we are in the lull before Thanksgiving. This isn\u2019t \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.afar.com\/magazine\/tsa-just-had-its-busiest-week-ever\u0022\u003Elike the summer\u003C\/a\u003E. There is more slack in the system \u2013 so there are extra seats available. If one flight gets canceled on a busy route, it will at this stage be fairly easy to accommodate on another flight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd I expect customers will be asked to get to airports a little earlier than they would normally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut people should expect more delays on existing flights. This is because of the way we maintain safety in the air transportation system. Air traffic control can only safely watch a certain number of flights. So when you have someone not at work, or a reduction in number of controllers, you will need to reduce the number of airplanes in the sky. You can\u2019t ask a controller to watch, say, 20 flights when they usually watch 10. So what you do is put in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.faa.gov\/air_traffic\/publications\/atpubs\/foa_html\/chap18_section_10.html\u0022\u003Emore ground delay programs\u003C\/a\u003E to limit the number of aircraft coming into or out of an airport. This causes delays but is necessary in peak periods.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Impact Will This Have on Airlines?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt 4%, probably not too much of an impact. When you look at the list of airports affected, it is balanced from the point of view that many are large hubs and the pain is being shared across all U.S. carriers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs for the impact on other types of businesses, at the moment it is mainly the industries that air transportation supports. According to the International Air Transport Association, the air transport sector in the U.S. \u2013 covering airlines, airports and tourism enabled by aviation \u2013\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iata.org\/en\/iata-repository\/publications\/economic-reports\/the-value-of-air-transport-to-the-united-states-of-america\/\u0022\u003Econtributes about US$1.3 trillion, or about 4.7%, to GDP\u003C\/a\u003E and supports about 7.6 million jobs. If these wider sectors are severely affected, it could create a longer-term impact on the economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAnd if This Continues Into the Holiday Season?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is when it will get painful for the carriers. If we are looking at reduction of 10% going into the holiday season with additional delays, then that is when the real pain will be felt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWill This Affect How Americans Choose to Travel?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAir travel is what I call an emotional mode of transport \u2013 we use it for the events that are most significant in our life, such as big family meet-ups, holidays and major face-to-face business deals. So this may affect how people choose to travel going into the holiday season if it is more difficult to get people back to their families in time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, said on Nov. 7 that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/video\/2025\/11\/07\/american-airlines-ceo-robert-isom-on-flight-cancellations-we-dont-need-to-be-in-this-position.html\u0022\u003Ethey are seeing an impact on bookings\u003C\/a\u003E, with people postponing and rescheduling travel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI certainly think for people looking at a 500- to 600-mile trip, the option of traveling by car is looking more appealing right now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWill Passengers be Compensated for Canceled Flights?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically, compensation depends on whether the delay or cancellation was within the airline\u2019s control. The U.S. Department of Transportation has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.transportation.gov\/airconsumer\u0022\u003Ecreated a dashboard\u003C\/a\u003E showing \u201cwhat services U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline\u2019s control.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, delays and cancellations caused by ATC staffing shortages are not considered to be within the airline\u2019s control, and it is up to each airline to decide if and how they will compensate passengers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of Nov. 7, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.united.com\/en\/us\/fly\/company\/company-info\/airline-schedule-reductions.html\u0022\u003Emany airlines\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/delta\/posts\/delta-is-temporarily-reducing-flights-at-40-us-airports-to-comply-with-federal-d\/1238297138319196\/\u0022\u003Ehad announced\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.aa.com\/news\/news-details\/2025\/An-update-on-the-FAA-directive\/default.aspx\u0022\u003Ethey were allowing customers\u003C\/a\u003E to change their flights or request a refund without penalty, including nonrefundable fares such as basic economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter all, it is in their interest, too, that people continue to fly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically, major carriers offer more services for delayed and canceled flights within their control than low-cost carriers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigure class=\u0022align-center \u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A large building is seen behind a blue plane.\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 srcset=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=394\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=394\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=600\u0026amp;h=394\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=496\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=30\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=496\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/701151\/original\/file-20251107-64-tolrrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=15\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;h=496\u0026amp;fit=crop\u0026amp;dpr=3 2262w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022caption\u0022\u003EA Southwest Airlines plane taxis in front of the air traffic control tower at Los Angeles International Airport.\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ca class=\u0022source\u0022 href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/southwest-airlines-plane-taxis-in-front-of-the-air-traffic-news-photo\/2245434454?adppopup=true\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022attribution\u0022\u003EMario Tama\/Getty Images\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EIs There any Precedent for This? What Happened Then?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is no real precedent for what we are seeing: a 4% to 10% reduction across the board due to a government shutdown. But we have seen major disruptions, such as after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and during the pandemic, when COVID-19 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2021\/12\/30\/jetblue-cancellations-travel-omicron\u0022\u003Eran through flight attendants and pilots\u003C\/a\u003E before the holidays \u2013 that caused flight cancellations and delays.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, when we have seen something like this, we have seen consumer behavior change for a short period. After 9\/11, when U.S. travelers had the hassle of increased security, there was a shift to more automobile travel for those 500- to 600-mile journeys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Advice Would You Give Would-Be Flyers Now?\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst off, download the app for the airport and airline carrier so you get up-to-date, reliable information. And if you can book for a day earlier than you normally would for a major event, do so \u2013 it provides a buffer in case your flight is delayed or canceled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd try to avoid connections at all costs. The fewer legs, the fewer things can go wrong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso, don\u2019t check bags if you can. There is nothing worse than getting to an airport, finding your flight is canceled, and then having to wait for your luggage to get returned.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg style=\u0022border-color:!important;border-style:none;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important;max-height:1px !important;max-width:1px !important;min-height:1px !important;min-width:1px !important;opacity:0 !important;outline:none !important;padding:0 !important;\u0022 src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/269265\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022 referrerpolicy=\u0022no-referrer-when-downgrade\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-to-know-as-hundreds-of-flights-are-grounded-across-the-us-an-air-travel-expert-explains-269265\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMajor airports across the United States were subject to a 4% reduction in flights on Nov. 7, 2025, as the government shutdown began to affect travelers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Major airports across the United States were subject to a 4% reduction in flights on Nov. 7, 2025, as the government shutdown began to affect travelers."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2025-11-07 21:45:32","changed_gmt":"2025-11-12 13:50:24","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678585":{"id":"678585","type":"image","title":"Passengers walk through the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Nov. 7, 2025. Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPassengers walk through the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Nov. 7, 2025. Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1762789601","gmt_created":"2025-11-10 15:46:41","changed":"1762789601","gmt_changed":"2025-11-10 15:46:41","alt":"Passengers walk through the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Nov. 7, 2025. Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images","file":{"fid":"262639","name":"file-20251107-56-qvzq1f.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/10\/file-20251107-56-qvzq1f.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/10\/file-20251107-56-qvzq1f.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":253749,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/10\/file-20251107-56-qvzq1f.jpg?itok=IleYI-Kn"}}},"media_ids":["678585"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-to-know-as-hundreds-of-flights-are-grounded-across-the-us-an-air-travel-expert-explains-269265","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"},{"id":"658168","name":"Experts"},{"id":"1182","name":"General"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1253","name":"School of Civil and Envrionmental Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"194701","name":"go-resarchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/laurie-a-garrow-2522989\u0022\u003ELaurie A. Garrow\u003C\/a\u003E, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/georgia-institute-of-technology-1310\u0022\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}