The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it is reducing the flow of flights into three major New York City-area airports and Philadelphia International Airport, citing a combination of severe weather conditions and ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages.
Staffing problems at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center are directly impacting operations at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International airports. According to flight tracking service FlightAware, cancellations at all four airports are running between 20% and 30% of scheduled flights.
The FAA reported that ground delays at the affected airports are averaging anywhere from 71 minutes to 149 minutes.
The agency continues to struggle with a long-running shortage of certified air traffic controllers. Last month, the FAA extended flight caps at the three main New York-area airports. The number of certified controllers at New York Area Terminal Radar Approach Control currently stands at just 57% of the agency’s target staffing level.
The staffing deficit has not only caused flight delays but has also forced air traffic controllers at numerous facilities to work mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks.
The FAA has extended flight limits at Newark through the summer of 2027, and at JFK and LaGuardia through late October 2028. The agency is also extending relief from minimum flight usage requirements at JFK, LaGuardia, and Reagan Washington National Airport through late 2027.
Back in May 2025, the FAA imposed significant reductions in the number of flights allowed at Newark following a string of major disruptions at the United Airlines hub. Those disruptions affected hundreds of flights and raised serious concerns about the condition of the aging U.S. air traffic control system. The FAA is extending those flight cuts through October 2027.
The FAA stated that air traffic control staffing deficiencies at Newark “will not significantly improve” before October 2027.
Under normal minimum flight requirements, airlines risk losing their takeoff and landing slots at high-traffic airports if they fail to use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA’s newest waiver permits airlines to operate 10% fewer flights without penalty. The agency has issued multiple such waivers in recent years to deal with the persistent staffing problems at JFK and LaGuardia.
