U.S. air travel remained disrupted Thursday: FlightAware recorded 998 cancellations and about 1,105 delays, with 380 flights already canceled for Friday. The FAA issued an emergency order holding planned flight reductions at 6%, stopping earlier plans to raise cuts to 8% and 10% at 40 high-impact airports. Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu said normal operations could take up to a week to resume, but he does not expect the Thanksgiving travel period to be affected. Travelers should monitor airline updates for the next several days.
FAA Holds Flight Reductions at 6%; Cancellations and Delays Could Last About a Week
U.S. air travel remained disrupted Thursday: FlightAware recorded 998 cancellations and about 1,105 delays, with 380 flights already canceled for Friday. The FAA issued an emergency order holding planned flight reductions at 6%, stopping earlier plans to raise cuts to 8% and 10% at 40 high-impact airports. Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu said normal operations could take up to a week to resume, but he does not expect the Thanksgiving travel period to be affected. Travelers should monitor airline updates for the next several days.
12:11 AM, 11/14/2025Society
Flight disruptions continue as FAA freezes planned cuts
Airline travel across the United States remained disrupted Thursday morning, with flight-tracking service FlightAware reporting 998 cancellations and roughly 1,105 delays as of 11:30 a.m. ET. FlightAware also showed about 380 flights already canceled for Friday.
The disruptions persisted even after President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday to end the recent government shutdown. At a press briefing, Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, said it could take up to a week for air travel operations to return to normal as the industry recovers.
The airports with the largest number of Thursday cancellations were Chicago O'Hare (52 cancellations), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (43) and Denver International (37), according to FlightAware.
FAA emergency order: reductions held at 6%
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday issued an emergency order freezing planned flight reductions at their current level of 6%. Under a prior directive, airlines had been required to reduce operations at 40 designated "high-impact" airports by 8% by Thursday and by 10% by Friday; the FAA's new order prevents those cuts from increasing.
The Department of Transportation said the 6% cap will remain "as the FAA continues to assess the situation and determines when airlines and systems can safely and gradually return to normal operations." Officials have emphasized a cautious, phased approach to restoring full schedules.
Outlook for travelers
Sununu said he does not expect the disruption to extend into the Thanksgiving travel period, which is still more than a week away. "I don't think any flights over the Thanksgiving week have actually been canceled yet," he said, noting airlines are coordinating closely with the FAA and monitoring schedules several days in advance.
Officials and industry representatives cautioned that while cancellations and delays have eased since Congress moved to resolve the shutdown, travelers should expect some lingering disruption for several more days and check with their carriers before heading to the airport.
Reporting contributions: Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso and Ayesha Ali. Source: FlightAware, Department of Transportation, Airlines for America.