The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered 13 partial airport closures, including at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
The closure is not affecting commercial flights. Officials at Sky Harbor say passengers should continue to check with airlines about FAA-related delays or cancellations.
Affected by the closure are private jets, emergency, medical and law-enforcement flights and military aircraft.
Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends, as the FAA moves ahead with deeper cuts to flights at 40 major U.S. airports, officials said Monday.
After a weekend that saw thousands of flights canceled, including almost 3,000 on Sunday alone, airlines scrapped another 1,700 flights Monday and nearly 1,000 for Tuesday. Some air traffic controllers — unpaid for nearly a month — have stopped showing up, citing the added stress and need to take second jobs.
Over the weekend, airlines canceled thousands of flights to comply with the order to eliminate 4% of flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. That figure will rise to 6% on Tuesday and reach 10% by week’s end, the FAA says.
Already, travelers are growing angry.
“All of this has real negative consequences for millions of Americans, and it’s 100% unnecessary and avoidable,” said Todd Walker, whose flight from San Francisco to Washington state was canceled over the weekend, causing him to miss his mom’s 80th birthday party.
About 10% of all flights nationwide were canceled Sunday, making it the fourth worst day for cancellations since January 2024, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Even the relatively modest 4% cuts at major airports ripple across the system when planes and crews fall out of position for their next flights.