3 DC, Baltimore airports will have flights cut starting Friday: Full list

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration announced this week that it would be cutting air traffic by 10% at 40 high-traffic airports across the U.S. The list, released by the FAA on Thursday,three airports across Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

FAA flight cuts

What we know:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the changes on Wednesday. Duffy and Bedford said the cuts are coming because of a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the federal government shutdown, now the longest in American history.

The cuts, Bedford said, are meant to keep air traffic safe and alleviate the pressure on the system.

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"This is data-based," Duffy said. "This is not based on what airline travels, has more flights out of what location. This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure."

John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International and Teterboro Airport will all see decreased traffic because of the cuts.

According to the Associated Press, passengers will start being notified of cancellations starting Thursday. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have both said that they'll offer refunds to passengers who choose not to fly, even if they purchased previously non-refundable tickets.

FAA airport flight reduction list

Here's the full list of airports that will have flights cut, according to the Associated Press:

1. Anchorage International in Alaska
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
7. Dallas Love Field in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International in Hawaii
15. Houston Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International in New York
20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
21. Los Angeles International in California
22. LaGuardia Airport in New York
23. Orlando International in Florida
24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois
25. Memphis International in Tennessee
26. Miami International in Florida
27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
28. Oakland International in California
29. Ontario International in California
30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois
31. Portland International in Oregon
32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
34. San Diego International in California
35. Louisville International in Kentucky
36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
37. San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro in New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida

By the numbers:

Reagan National averages 800 to 850 flights per day, with Dulles International seeing similar volume. A 10% reduction would impact roughly 80 to 85 flights at each airport. At BWI, which handles about 650 daily flights, the cutback would affect around 65.

Combined, Reagan, Dulles and BWI served more than 80 million passengers in 2024, according to data from Airports Council International - North America.

The backstory:

Even before the federal government shut down, the U.S. was suffering from a shortage of air traffic controllers. Since the shutdown began, air traffic controllers have gone without pay. Duffy said that an increasing number of controllers are calling out of work, 

What's next:

Flights will be cut starting Friday, Nov. 7. Duffy and Bedford said traffic will continue to be limited for the remainder of the government shutdown, and that if the air traffic controller shortage persists or gets worse, they will implement more cuts.

What we don't know:

It's not clear what airlines or routes will be subject to cuts, though Duffy and Bedford said on Wednesday that they would try and make cuts as equitable as possible. United has said that their international and long haul flights won't be impacted.