Did American Airlines announce on November 4, 2025 that it would immediately shutdown and cancel flights after 66 years of service? No, that's not true: A news headline reading "American airline abruptly confirms immediate total shutdown" was referring to

Hundreds of flights, a small overall percentage, were canceled on Friday following orders by the Trump administration as the government shutdown leaves air traffic controllers working without pay. Disruptions at major airports appeared limited.

The confusion stemmed from a headline about Kenai Aviation, a small airline serving a handful of Alaskan communities, suspending operations.

U.S. airlines on Friday scrambled to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel citing air traffic control safety concerns because of a record-setting government shutdown.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said airlines are "going to lose millions of dollars" after the FAA instituted flight reductions due to the shutdown.

Though not related to the government shutdown, job cuts at one of the 'Big Four' airlines come at a moment of strain for the travel industry.

American Airlines has announced plans to cut management and support roles, mainly at its headquarters in North Texas.

Delta Airlines said in an update that it expects the “vast majority” of its flights not to be affected by the government’s decision and go ahead as scheduled. While complying with the government directive by reducing its domestic flights, its international flights won’t be affected.

Thousands of flights in the U.S. have been canceled as the government shutdown continues. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says these reductions will help air traffic controllers.