Dozens of flights canceled in South Florida. What to know about the cutbacks
Travel was disrupted at South Florida’s two largest airports over the weekend and Monday as airlines cut back flights to comply with a federal order due to the government shutdown. The situation led to some delays and some cancellations, but the terminals were not as chaotic as some travelers feared.
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring a 10% reduction of domestic flights at 40 high-volume airports across the country, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The cutbacks are taking hold gradually, over a seven-day period that started Nov. 7.
The move was in response to added burdens air traffic controllers have been facing since the government partially shut down Oct, 1.
The Senate voted 60-to-40 on Monday night to back a spending package that would end the nation’s longest government shutdown; the House is expected to take up the measure on Wednesday.
But an end to the shutdown would still have lingering effects on air travel.
Canceled flights in South Florida
Over the weekend, cancellations at Miami International Airport increased slightly. On Saturday, 15 domestic departures, or 4.7% of total scheduled, were scrapped. On Sunday, 16 flights, or 5% of domestic departures, were canceled.
Both days saw increases from the 3.5% canceled on Nov. 7, the first day the order took effect.
On Monday, MIA saw 10 cancellations due to the FAA’s measure, or 3% of total scheduled departures.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers while airlines nationwide comply with this federal directive,” said Greg Chin, communications director at Miami-Dade Aviation Department, who provided the flight figures to the Miami Herald.
FLL reported 30 flight cancellations Monday due to the FAA flight reduction order, said airport spokesperson Arlene Satchell.
The Broward airport also had 91 delayed flights, but those delays could be due to other reasons, including weather, airline operations or other FAA issues, she said.
How flight cutbacks are being phased in
The 4% reduction took effect on Friday, Nov. 7, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That will rise to 6% on Tuesday, Nov. 11, then 8% by Thursday, Nov. 13 and finally 10% by Friday, Nov. 14.
Airlines will be required to issue full refunds, the FAA order stipulates. They will not be required to cover secondary costs.
Who decides which flight to cancel?
The airline companies determine what flights to reduce, MIA’s Chin said.
International flights aren’t being targeted. But the FAA noted that “carriers may use their own discretion to decide which flights are canceled to reach the order’s goal.”
The airlines need to plan their reductions ahead of time and inform both the FAA and airports.
Delays across the country
The Department of Transportation acknowledged that “since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing.”
As of Monday afternoon, 25,735 flights were scheduled to depart from the U.S., with 1,623 canceled, around 6.3%, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. On-time departure performance, however, is better than average, at 84.41%.
On Sunday, about 10% of flights were canceled, the fourth-worst day since January 2024, and the highest since the government shutdown started, according to Cirium.
How to track your flight in South Florida
Miami International Airport has two online trackers you can use.
One of the MIA flight trackers shows a list of all expected arrivals and departures with options to use a drop-down menu to narrow results. It displays the carrier, flight number and where the plane is going to or coming from. It also gives real-time updates on the flight’s arrival or departure status, which concourse the terminal is in and the location of baggage claim.
The other online tool lets you track by flight or route. If you know the carrier, the date and the flight number, this tool might be easier to use because it will only show information for your flight.
FLL’s flight tracker works by flight or route. You’ll need to know the date, along with the airline carrier and flight number or the departure and arrival airport. The tool also gives people the option to see a list of all expected arrivals and departures and details on the flight’s terminal and baggage claim, too.
You can also check your flight status with the airline directly, which might be easier to do through the airline’s app. But you can also check via the airline’s website.
This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 1:01 PM.