US airlines cancel 1,000 flights while complying with shutdown order

Hundreds of pieces of unclaimed luggage fill the aisle between the south terminal’s baggage claim carousels on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Andrew Harnik / Andrew Harnik

This story was updated on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at 6:19 p.m.

Anxious travelers across the U.S. felt a bit of relief Friday as airlines mostly stayed on schedule while still cutting more than 1,000 flights largely because of the government shutdown.

Plenty of nervousness remained, though, as more canceled flights are coming over the next week to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce service at the nation’s busiest airports.