The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports across the country, officials announced during a press conference on Wednesday.
The decision could result in the cancellation of thousands of flights per day.
ABC News first obtained the list of airports, which includes major transportation hubs such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Boston Logan, all three New York City-area airports, Chicago O’Hare and many others. Sources said the cuts could start as early as Thursday.
A source told ABC News that the flight reductions will start at 4% on Friday and work up to 10%. The flights impacted by these reductions are scheduled during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
International flights are exempt from the cuts, the source said, adding that a final list of airports and the FAA order with details is still in the works and is expected to be issued Thursday.
“Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible. Reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations. This is not based on light airline travel locations. This is about where the pressure is and how to really deviate the pressure,” Bedford said during the press conference on Wednesday.
The announcement comes after Duffy said earlier this week that the FAA will be forced to shut down the airspace in some areas if the shutdown continues into next week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News that President Donald Trump is aware of the FAA restrictions.
Full list of airports that will see cuts:
- Anchorage International
- Baltimore/Washington International
- Boston-Logan International
- Charlotte Douglas International
- Chicago Midway International
- Chicago O’Hare International
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- Dallas-Fort Worth International
- Dallas Love Field
- Denver International
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- Honolulu International
- Houston Hobby
- Indianapolis International
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International
- Los Angeles International
- Louisville Muhammad Ali International
- Memphis International
- Miami International
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul International
- New York LaGuardia
- New York John F. Kennedy International
- Newark Liberty International
- Oakland San Francisco Bay International
- Ontario International
- Orlando International
- Philadelphia International
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- Portland International
- Ronald Reagan Washington National
- San Diego International
- Salt Lake City International
- San Francisco International
- Seattle-Tacoma International
- Tampa International
- Teterboro
- Washington Dulles International
