More than 700 flights nationwide canceled Saturday

The FAA decided not to chopped immoderate planetary flights.

More than 700 flights nationwide person been canceled Saturday arsenic the Federal Aviation Administration continues limiting formation capableness astatine 40 large U.S. airports amid the authorities shutdown.

As of 6 a.m. ET connected Saturday, 754 flights person already been canceled nationwide and the full could eclipse Friday’s toll of 1,024 cancellations.

However, contempt much than 1,000 flights being canceled connected Friday, large delays astatine airports crossed the state proceed to persist owed to staffing issues successful aerial postulation controller towers and centers.

If the authorities shutdown continues, much aerial question reductions could beryllium connected the way, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said successful an interrogation connected ABC News Live connected Friday.

"My anticipation is that this authorities shutdown volition extremity soon and we tin get backmost successful the concern of letting Americans travel," Duffy said successful the interview.

It is imaginable the Department of Transportation whitethorn inquire airlines to cancel much than 10% of their flights if controllers support calling retired successful higher numbers, Duffy told ABC News.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: An Air France level takes disconnected implicit a United Airlines level astatine San Francisco International Airport (SFO) connected November 07, 2025 successful San Francisco, California. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is reducing flights by 10 percent astatine 40 large airports nationwide, including SFO, opening Friday amid aerial postulation power staffing shortages resulting from the national authorities shutdown.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Duffy said the FAA has asked backstage jets to debar flying astatine the 40 airports impacted by the formation reductions, though they are presently not prohibited from flying there. He said backstage pitchy companies person been cooperative and are choosing alternate airports to assistance alleviate the unit astatine those airports.

The cancellations are the latest -- and possibly biggest -- disruption to aerial question since the authorities shutdown began much than a period ago.

The FAA decided not to chopped immoderate planetary flights arsenic it would beryllium a usurpation of planetary agreements with the countries, according to Duffy.

“We person planetary agreements that we abide by, and due to the fact that of those planetary agreements, I'm not going to interaction those planetary flights. And due to the fact that if I do, what volition hap is we person different countries that are waiting to person a breach of those contracts from the US truthful they tin chopped down American flights, and past that would person a precise agelong lasting interaction connected our quality to to to nonstop travelers from the U.S. to those partners that person the agreements," Duffy said.

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