Hundreds more flights canceled as shutdown deepens travel chaos

American Airlines Group Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. were the most affected.

Airlines canceled hundreds more flights this weekend, causing delays at major airports in New York City and elsewhere as federal authorities curtail air traffic because of the government shutdown.

Out of 21,748 flights scheduled on Saturday, about 3.7% had been canceled as of 8:45 a.m. New York time, according to data compiled by aviation analytics company Cirium. American Airlines Group Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. were the most affected.

Many flights that did eventually take off were delayed by hours. On Friday, airlines canceled about 3% of 25,375 scheduled flights.

Newark Liberty International Airport was experiencing average delays of over four hours on Saturday, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. John F. Kennedy International Airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and San Francisco International Airport all saw average delays of around two hours.

The airport chaos comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the federal government would cut flights by 10% by the end of next week because of a shortage of air-traffic controllers who were furloughed because of the shutdown, which is in its 39th day. If the shortage of air-traffic controllers through the shutdown worsens, Duffy said he plans to cut flights by 15% or even 20%, as the busy Thanksgiving travel season begins.

The issue has become part of a broader political fight between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over federal funding. The Trump administration says the cuts are needed for safety because of staff shortages, while a top Democrat has called for more transparency, suggesting the decision isn’t politically driven.