The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated flight reductions at numerous airports, including Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, in response to ongoing challenges.

Due to the current government shutdown, airlines have been instructed to decrease their flight operations by four percent by 5 a.m. on Friday.

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As a result, O’Hare has already seen nearly 80 flight cancellations this morning, while Midway has experienced around 20 cancellations.

This directive affects 40 major airports nationwide, with the FAA mandating a four percent reduction in flights by Friday.

Airlines face a deadline to cut their flight schedules by 10 percent by next Friday, November 14, or risk incurring fines of $75,000 for each flight exceeding the limit.

The FAA says these sweeping cuts are needed to maintain safety because of a shortage of air-traffic controllers and TSA agents amid the longest government shutdown in US history.

These critical employees are working without pay and now many are increasingly calling in sick or picking up side jobs to pay the bills.

“This is going to be huge,” Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, said. “So on a given day in the US, there might be 100 to 200 flights canceled. This is going to be 4000 and mind you that it’s not just canceled flights. Because of these canceled flights, there’s going to be thousands more delays as well.
While neither Chicago airport is fully staffed with air traffic controllers, both are close to their target.

The ABC7 data team found both O’Hare and Midway are both 85 percent staffed, with 58 air traffic controllers at O’Hare and 19 at Midway.

According to Flight Aware, more than 800 flights have already been canceled out of the country.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement, “The CDA is coordinating with federal and airline partners regarding the Federal Aviation Administration directive affecting airline operations beginning Friday, Nov. 7. All travelers with flights scheduled on or after Friday, Nov. 7, should monitor their flight status through their air carrier’s mobile app or website before leaving for the airport. These tools provide the most current information on schedule changes, delays, and any necessary rebooking options.”

Late Thursday, United Airlines released a full list of flight cancelations through Sunday.