Simple Flying
Aaron Bailey
06 November 2025
On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration decided that drastic measures were needed to ensure resilience in the national airline system and took steps to shave 10% of traffic across 40 high-volume US markets.
Currently, the FAA provides direction to more than 44,000 daily flights across the US, which covers not just commercial passenger flights but also extends to cargo and private aircraft. The 10% reduction in services is set to remain as long as required and is unprecedented, given that there has never been such a measure taken in the last four decades.
The situation currently is that many air traffic controllers have unfortunately been summoned to work unpaid due to the federal government shutdown. Since October 1, most ATCs have been rostered to work up to six days per week, with mandatory unpaid overtime. This physical and emotional stress is starting to take its toll, with many calling in sick, not showing up to work out of sheer frustration, or taking up second jobs to pay for basic human necessities such as food, gas, and childcare.
