Politics

Shutdown Flight Restrictions: How FAA Rules Are Disrupting Travel at Smaller Airports

FAA flight limits due to controller shortages. Smaller airports face the brunt of cancellations, impacting regional travel.

byEditorial Staff

November 7, 2025, 4:31 PM

Crowded airport gate area with diverse travelers sitting and waiting for a flight at JFK Terminal 5.

Passengers wait in a crowded, modern gate area at Terminal 5 of New York's JFK Airport. By Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented flight limitations at 40 major U.S. airports starting November 7, 2025, due to air traffic controller shortages and a federal government shutdown.

Despite targeting major hubs, smaller regional airports and their feeder flights are bearing the brunt of cancellations, as airlines prioritize “hub to hub” routes to minimize overall system disruption.

Flight data indicates smaller airports are experiencing higher percentages of cancellations, and short-distance connecting flights have also seen significant cuts.

The Story So Far

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented flight limitations at 40 major U.S. airports due to existing air traffic controller shortages, a problem exacerbated by an ongoing federal government shutdown. While these restrictions target larger hubs, airlines are strategically canceling flights at smaller regional airports and short-distance connecting routes to comply with the new limits and minimize overall system disruption by prioritizing critical “hub to hub” travel.

Why This Matters

The FAA’s flight limitations, driven by air traffic controller shortages and a federal government shutdown, are disproportionately impacting travelers at smaller regional airports, as airlines prioritize maintaining critical hub-to-hub routes, leading to significant cancellations of feeder and short-distance connecting flights and exposing the vulnerability of regional air travel during system-wide disruptions.

Who Thinks What?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented flight limitations at 40 major U.S. airports due to air traffic controller shortages and a federal government shutdown, stating their intention to minimize overall system disruption and impact on smaller airports.

Airlines, as noted by aviation expert Zach Griff, are prioritizing “hub to hub” flights and cutting smaller feeder flights to comply with FAA limits, thereby disproportionately affecting smaller regional airports and travelers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented flight limitations at 40 major U.S. airports, a measure attributed to air traffic controller shortages compounded by an ongoing federal government shutdown. While the restrictions target large hubs, passengers utilizing smaller regional airports are expected to bear the brunt of the disruptions, with feeder flights being the primary cancellations. The new limits went into effect on Friday, November 7, 2025.

The strategy behind these cancellations is to minimize overall system disruption by cutting flights at smaller airports, rather than those connecting major cities. This approach allows airlines to comply with the new FAA limits while maintaining critical routes between larger hubs.

For instance, Miami International Airport is among the 40 airports under FAA restrictions. However, Pensacola International Airport, a smaller regional facility nearly 700 miles away, saw all eight American Airlines flights to Miami canceled on Friday. Travelers from Pensacola faced the choice of driving long distances or flying circuitous routes through other major hubs like Atlanta or Dallas to reach Miami.

Flight tracker FlightAware data indicated that U.S. airports experiencing the highest percentage of cancellations on Friday were predominantly smaller ones. Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois, reported 9% of its outbound flights canceled, while Shreveport Regional in Louisiana saw 7% grounded. This contrasts with major airports, where only one of 46 flights from Los Angeles International Airport to a New York airport was canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Short-distance connecting flights also faced significant cuts. United Airlines canceled eight of 24 flights between Colorado Springs and Denver, a route of approximately 100 miles. Similarly, American Airlines canceled four of six flights between its Dallas-Fort Worth hub and Waco, a comparable distance.

The FAA stated its intention to minimize impacts on smaller airports, indicating that it “may direct cancellations on a more prescriptive basis” if airlines do not manage to do so. However, aviation expert Zach Griff noted that airlines prioritize “hub to hub” flights due to their significant downstream effects on both passengers and crews, making smaller feeder flights more susceptible to cuts.

Impact on Regional Travel

The federal government shutdown and subsequent FAA flight limitations are creating a disproportionate burden on travelers in smaller communities. While the measures aim to manage air traffic controller shortages, the resulting cancellations highlight the vulnerability of regional air travel when system-wide disruptions occur.