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US Lowers FAA Flight Cuts Mandate to 3%
US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduced required flight cuts at 40 major U.S. airports from 6% to 3%, effective November 15 at 6 a.m.
The agencies said improved air traffic controller staffing and a sharp drop in staffing-trigger events since the November 8 peak support the change. The revision covers a group of high-traffic hubs the FAA is still monitoring closely, including ATL (Atlanta), JFK (New York), LAX (Los Angeles), ORD (Chicago O’Hare) and DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth).
Although the overall cap eases, targeted restrictions remain in place. General aviation (GA) operations and flights operating under visual flight rules (VFR) will face continued limitations at certain times and locations while the FAA evaluates system resilience. The agency also said commercial space launch windows will be limited to overnight hours as it tracks traffic and staffing performance at key hubs.
What the flight cuts change means
The move trims industry-wide disruption while keeping safeguards for capacity and safety. Airlines may be able to restore some cancelled flights and add limited schedule flexibility, but the FAA emphasized the adjustment is conditional on continuing staffing improvements and stable traffic patterns.
- For airlines: eased constraints could allow recovery of select cancelled services and fewer re-routes.
- For passengers: reduced delays and cancellations are possible, though travelers should still expect spot restrictions at the busiest airports.
- For GA and VFR pilots: some restrictions persist; plan ahead and check NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) before flying.
- Policy note: the required flight cuts threshold was lowered from 6% to 3% across the 40-airport group.
The DOT and FAA will continue to review controller staffing data and operational events. The November 15 start time gives carriers and airports a clear timeline to update schedules; regulators said they will revisit limits if staffing-trigger events rise again. Expect ongoing announcements as the FAA monitors performance at ATL, JFK, LAX, ORD and DFW over the coming days.
