US facing travel chaos as flights cut due to govt shutdown

People receive free food from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank on November 5, 2025, in City of Industry, California. [AFP]

Travelers across the United States were left scrambling to rebook flights as the government shutdown heaps pressure on the country's air traffic control system, prompting hundreds of Friday flight cancellations at major American airports.

Airlines starting Friday will begin implementing up to a 10-percent reduction in flights for 40 high-traffic areas of the country, complying with a Federal Aviation Administration order made on safety grounds.