Right as it looks like the government shutdown will end, the Administration has placed restrictions banning non-scheduled (private) operations at 12 airports:
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
There are exceptions for aircraft based at these airports, emergency/medical, law enforcement, firefighting, military, or if specifically authorized.
As commercial airlines cancel flights en masse under orders from the government, there have been huge calls to restrict private flights, too.
Friday’s FAA order did allow for a reduction in general aviation up to 10% at the same 40 identified airports when staffing triggers hit. That’s not the same thing as the proactive requirement to cut commercial flights, but it was the hook that allowed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to claim that private flights were being hit, too.
Hopefully Katie doesn’t pour hot mashed potatoes on me for correcting her but… restrictions for private jets are already in place! https://t.co/GluyIbcmq2 pic.twitter.com/xyDng7z0Dc
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 9, 2025
Appreciate the question @LelandVittert.
Restrictions for private jets are already in place! We’ve reduced their volume at high traffic airports — instead having private jets utilize smaller airports or airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation. That’s only… https://t.co/h0sNyidtBw
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 8, 2025
Many airline executives believe that the FAA’s ordered commerical flight cuts are political meant to bring pressure to end the government shutdown by making it too painful for the public to continue. And, indeed, a combination of mass chaos in the skies and getting past Tuesday’s election, has brought a deal in the Senate to kick the can down the road to February.
Others believe that focusing on private flights would have worked better (although clearly this worked) since it would focus the pain on ‘the donor class’ though I think that misunderstands what most general aviation is (it’s not jets, and where it’s corporate flights that is often teams of middle managers).
Now, instrument flight rules general aviation flights use the same towers, TRACONs, and Centers as airlines. And visual flight rule opreations must obtain a clearance and receive separation inside Class B airspace around these 12 hubs. So private operations do draw on the scarce controller bandwidth that’s binding right now.
But banning private flights at these airports only moves the needle marginally. There’s relatively little private flying at these airports! General aviation typically uses reliever airports e.g., Van Nuys for LAX, Bedford for BOS, Fulton County or DeKalb-Peachtree for Atlanta, Centenniel or Broomfield for Denver, Westchester or Teterboro for New York City though Teterboro is already on the 40‑airport cut list, so it’s already being throttled under the 10% order.
In 2024, general aviation accounted for about 16.3 million out of 38.9 million operations at federal towers which is huge, but only 6.2 million of 43.6 million en‑route Center operations (14%) and that’s a better proxy for instrument flight rules controller workload. Many general aviation tower operations are local training at non‑hub airports that aren’t what’s driving airline delays.
If you actually wanted big relief at the chokepoints, you’d have to limit unscheduled instrument flight rules operations inside the most constrained TRACONs (N90 New York, Potomac Consolidated DC, Southern California TRACON, etc.) including the relievers — not just these 12 airline hubs.
So this new policy limiting general aviation is pretty meaningless – it’s coming late, it’s focused on airports that don’t have nearly so much of the covered traffic, and it comes as calls mount for private flights to feel the pain just as it seems like the pain might end soon?
Corporate Democrats, truly ‘the controlled opposition,’ yet again ‘snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.’ Just as they could have finally put pressure on billionaires, they caved. Follow the money.
Time for a Progressive take-over the Democratic Party, just as #45/47 did to Republicans. Folks, unless you’re a literal billionaire, you should celebrate such a thing. Release the files.
At least workers will start to get paid, and people won’t starve, hopefully. Unfortunately, +20 million Americans are gonna start paying double for healthcare, and may have to go without.
Oh, and here’s the list of back-stabbers: Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman. Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Jackie Rosen, Jeanne Shaheen. Supposedly, they got a ‘promise’ from Thune for a ‘vote’ in December… Lucy with the football.
And, to those that want to attack Porter, fine, have at it; she absolutely mistreated her staff, yet even a-holes have good ideas occasionally. If there’s a shutdown, now or in the future, billionaires shouldn’t get a pass.
Clearly, Republicans embraced the biggest a-hole they could find in order to ram through their agenda of screwing everyday Americans so the 1% can get more tax cuts. Instead, I’d like to see more a-holes that actually fight for the rest of us.
Hey @1990, what tax cuts did the 1% get? I thought it was just holding the line on estate tax, but it wouldn’t help billionaires because they pay the top tax bracket anyway.
How about a tax on frequent flyer miles to pay for health insurance subsidies?
Also, DCA doesn’t really have private movements for security reasons.
@Derek — Oh, lookie, a good-faith response… NOT.
The One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Republicans (without a single vote from the opposing party), did not include healthcare subsidies for +20 million Americans and gave a huge tax cut to the 1%.
The Senate Republican’s budget also did not include those healthcare subsidies; for the last month, Democrats were fighting to add those healthcare subsidies to the budget. Yet, last night, 8 Democrats betrayed their party to vote with Republicans and reopen the government with no guarantees for healthcare. While I’m glad workers will get paid and kids might not starve, the underlying problem about healthcare and affordability remains.
#45/47 grabbed power by lying that he would make things more affordable; instead, he’s just given away everything to billionaires and himself, while scapegoating ‘brown’ people to placate the bigots. At some point, folks, even the bigots, are gonna wake up, realize they got conned, and finally demand better. I hope it is sooner than later.
Now, where’s @Tim Dunn for another round of, ‘woah, now, let’s not get political on here…’ As Capt Buck Lucky said over at Cranky Flier recently: “Politics came for aviation, not the other way around.” Well said, Lucky.
Everything that has to do with people, decisions, money, power, resources, etc. is, inherently political. So, I get the sense whenever anyone goes that route, they’re just seeking to silence their perceived opponents views… so much for hating ‘cancel culture.’
This is a completely meaningless ban. Very few people fly private aircraft from those airports.
For example, from DFW most fly from Redbird (cheapest fuel), Addison, or Mecham. Likewise, near IAH, there is Hooks airfield.
Schumer shuts the government for 40 days and ends up with the same thing he could have had on day 1. Hilarious. Couldn’t happen to a better bunch of misfit freaks.
Speaking of which, all the @1990 tears are glorious. Make sure you reply to yourself a few more times – pure comedy gold.
Most private air traffic comes out of smaller airports with no to little commercial traffic. That’s the entire point. You can get in and out of that airport within minutes. Many have very comfortable waiting areas but people flying private in part do so because they want to pull up and be on the plane and ready for take off within minutes. No desire, and no time, to spend in an airport lounge.
Time to start getting rid of the rich. It is really getting out of hand.
@Coolio — My dude, Chuck, for all his failings, actually did not support those 8 breaking rank; he voted ‘no.’ Still, I’d be happy to see him in-particular ‘not run again,’ pass the gavel (of leadership) to others, and see someone like AOC take his spot, representing the great state of New York. That brings me hope.
The ‘tears’ (and all with a conscience should shed them) are for the ~50,000 Americans per year that’ll die because of the Republicans cuts to ACA subsidies, Medicare, etc. That’s a preventable tragedy, and it’s also a breach of #47’s promises to not cut those programs. He’s a fraud. I suppose it’ll have to affect you personally before you care, and even then, probably not.
This fight is not over at all. If that CR passes, which it seems to be, it only goes through January 2026, like, two more months, a brief reprieve, then probably another shutdown. So, celebrate your pyrrhic victory at your own peril. Not to mention, #47 has done nothing about affordability. If the Supreme Court finally decides against him on tariffs, maybe that’ll help finally bring down some costs, but, again, that’d be an ironic ‘win’ for him as they’d be covering his butt.
The economy is not looking good, and #47 and the Republicans have only made it worse. No amount of scapegoating vulnerable or boogeymen are gonna help them in the midterms. People are already seeing how they abuse the law and their power to just help billionaires. When folks lose their jobs, can’t get healthcare, or afford food and shelter, you’ve got a problem there, dawg.
My wish is for the people to finally stop voting for corporate shill faux-Democrats, and finally start electing actual Progressives who solve those economic issues, and do not get distracted by culture war nonsense like you and a few others often pedal on here. It’s always been a class war.
@Lamont — I think $999,999,999 is plenty of assets, for any one human being, personally.
Like, why some feel they’ll only be ‘whole’ if they reach the magical number of $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars), I’ll never understand that astronomical greed and thirst to exploit or dominate the world for their own self-worth, especially while anyone else starves, doesn’t have access to healthcare, shelter, education, opportunity, etc.
The backlash to this overreach, historically, is brutal. I wish we’d actually learn from history to prevent such horrors. We know better. We deserve better. Yet, here we are.
Genuine lol @ banning ORD PJs. The bulk of that traffic is PWK based and MDW receives its fair share as well. ORD private aviation is a drop in the bucket and the type of thing you’d only do to make it look like you’re inconveniencing private aviation without actually doing so.
OK, there are areas that still have funding during shutdowns. How about we add ATC, SNAP, and TSA to the list while this is fresh on our mind? Spoiler alert, too many Ds and Rs want this pain so the minority party can make demands.
@This comes to mind — I’m in favor of what you suggested. Pay for essential ATC, SNAP, TSA, CBP (they process entry to the country, after all), and the active military service members. I say, get all the representatives, Ds and Rs, House and Senate, in a room until they compromise. That’s what the founders practically intended. If they’d done that, I think we’d’ve gotten those healthcare subsidies back, honestly. That plan was an ‘out’ for Republicans anyway; they know their BBB screwed over a lot of their own constituents and it could’ve helped them to save face. Now, they’ll have to own it. Folks are not gonna be happy when they can’t afford anything anymore. The myth of Republicans being good for the economy is finally being called out.
Interesting to see cabinet-level officials making pathetic attacks on people. Remember when this happened with past presidents? Me neither.
Air Traffic Control is not funded by taxpayers; it does not come out of the general Treasury funds like other agencies. It is paid for by the aircraft owner, by special aviation taxes on the fuel and on passenger tickets. The shortage of Air Traffic Controllers has practically nothing to do with the budget.