Detroit among 40 U.S. airports to see reduced flights. Here's what's happening

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 5:28 PM EST | Last Updated: November 7

Canadian travellers bound for the United States successful the adjacent fewer days whitethorn privation to cheque their flights.

While planetary flights are exempt from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) program to trim aerial postulation by 10 per cent crossed 40 of the busiest U.S. airports, Canadians could inactive spot immoderate cancellations and delays owed to the cascading effects of the national authorities shutdown southbound of the border. Here's a person look astatine what to know:

What's happening astatine U.S. airports?

The FAA said Wednesday it would chopped flights by 10 per cent crossed 40 airports — including large hubs specified arsenic New York City and Chicago — starting Friday owed to the U.S. authorities shutdown.

The reductions volition commencement astatine 4 per cent connected Friday and ramp up to 10 per cent by Nov. 14, successful effect betwixt 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. section clip for each commercialized airlines.

The bureau said the simplification is indispensable to support question information arsenic unpaid aerial postulation controllers grounds signs of strain during the shutdown — present the longest ever astatine 37 days and counting.

CBC News has reached retired to some the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for much accusation but has not yet received a response. In an automated email, the FAA said that "due to a lapse successful funding, the FAA is not responding to regular media inquiries."

Which U.S. airports are affected?

Airports successful New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, on with hubs crossed the U.S., are among the 40 that volition spot flights chopped starting Friday.

The airports impacted screen the busiest crossed the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco. In immoderate of the biggest cities — specified arsenic New York, Houston and Chicago — aggregate airports volition beryllium affected.

A database is included astatine the bottommost of this story. 

WATCH | Some of the busiest U.S. airports volition spot less flights:

How volition this impact flights?

Airlines are presently figuring this out. The cuts could see up to 1,800 flights and astir 268,000 seats combined, according to 1 estimation reported by The Associated Press. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines some said they would connection refunds to travellers who opt not to fly, adjacent if they person tickets that aren’t usually refundable. The FAA is besides imposing drastic restrictions connected abstraction launches and wide aviation.

How does this impact Canadians?

Canadian airlines run thousands of cross-border flights weekly, with connections to hundreds of antithetic routes via spouse carriers.

Air Canada, for example, told CBC News that it's maintaining its "normal schedule" but added that customers connecting to U.S. home flights with its partner, United Airlines, whitethorn beryllium affected and that it is already experiencing delays.

"All carriers operating successful the U.S. person been affected. For our part, we person experienced a constricted fig of manageable delays to this constituent but ... this is an ongoing situation," the hose said successful a statement.

Air Canada said it was allowing customers connecting with United to alteration oregon defer their question with nary alteration fee.

Porter Airlines said that flights successful and retired of the U.S. person been disrupted owed to FAA staffing shortages, causing delays successful immoderate of its markets.

"Our squad is managing the disruptions," Porter said successful an email statement. "For those who person flexibility, complimentary moves to immoderate U.S. destinations are disposable done Monday, erstwhile abstraction permits."

Passengers look astatine an airplane astatine San Francisco International Airport connected Thursday. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

WestJet said it was monitoring the concern but that its operations haven't been affected.

Transport Canada said it's monitoring the situation, adding that travellers leaving Canadian airports should cheque the presumption of their flights successful advance.

It's not conscionable U.S. flights: aviation expert

John Gradek, a lecturer successful aviation absorption astatine McGill University successful Montreal, says due to the fact that the North American aerial question strategy is integrated, U.S. airdrome delays affecting planes destined for Canada could origin cascading delays passim the Canadian system.

But Gradek says that's not the lone problem. Another 1 is airspace.

If idiosyncratic is flying from confederate Ontario to Western Canada, helium said, "a important information of that formation is overflying U.S. airspace." Flights to Mexico besides spell implicit the United States, helium said.

If the specialized aerial postulation controllers who grip that portion of American airspace halt showing up to work, it could hinder Canadians' question plans, helium said.

Finally, here's a afloat database of affected U.S. airports

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