More flights will be effected by the government shut down then what was originally thought

Question

The United States is now in the country's longest government shutdown in it's history, and its effecting more and more everyday. Major airports are having to shut down parts of their airports in order to make due with the lack of employees they retain throughout the shutdown, cutting flights. However, there is little for passengers to do about it and airlines are working on ways to honor lost flights. with this happening in major airports on the east coast, are more to follow throughout the country if the shutdown continues to last?

Answer 1

The general statement, "more flights will be affected by the government shutdown than what was originally thought," is a true statement. 

The Federal Aviation Administration itself has released a summary of actions to inform people of the rapid change occurring with this government shutdown. A quote from their official website is, 

"A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14."

This shows us that the FAA knows this percentage of operations will continue to reduce at a high rate. 

They also mentioned,

"This includes achieving a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country."

Furthermore, emphasizing that their percentages are temporary and there's a high possibility of fluctuation if the government continues to stay shut down. 

Considering this is the current situation within our government,

"Congressional leaders have so far failed to negotiate or move with urgency to end the shutdown, even as millions of Americans face the loss of federal food aid and rising federal health insurance premiums, and many government employees work without pay.

The president has consistently framed the appropriations lapse as something Democrats have caused and only Democrats can solve.."

And this is how the President is responding to people disagreeing with Trump administration policies,

"The president once again accused Democrats of holding the country 'hostage' over the shutdown in remarks at a business forum Wednesday afternoon."

We likely have a further road ahead of us. The country as a whole and policymakers are at a standstill, as we cannot seem to find a middle ground on the matter, leaving us in the middle of a shutdown. 

Citations:

Fowler, Stephen. “Trump Says Election Puts Shutdown Pressure on Republicans but Wants to End Filibuster.” NPR, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/11/06/nx-s1-5600150/shutdown-politics-election-filibuster-trump. 

“U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy & FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford Outline Series of Proactive Actions to Maintain Safety in the National Air Space.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy & FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford Outline Series of Proactive Actions to Maintain Safety in the National Air Space | Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, 6 Nov. 2025, www.faa.gov/newsroom/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-faa-administrator-bryan-bedford-outline-series.