The US air cargo industry is bracing for fresh turbulence as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 major airports collides with the grounding of UPS and FedEx’s McDonnell Douglas MD-11 fleets, deepening pressure on supply chains ahead of the crucial Thanksgiving and holiday shipping season.The FAA ordered airlines to cut domestic flight operations by 10% between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, citing air traffic controller shortages caused by the prolonged government shutdown, AP reported. The decision affects key hubs with major parcel distribution centres — including FedEx’s Memphis and Indianapolis bases and UPS’ Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, where a deadly cargo plane crash this week killed 14 people, including three crew members.Both companies announced they were grounding their MD-11 aircraft “out of an abundance of caution”, removing a significant chunk of capacity — roughly 9% of UPS’ fleet and 4% of FedEx’s. The double blow has prompted concerns about rising strain on logistics networks just weeks before the peak shopping period.“This is such a stressful time for both companies,” said Patrick Penfield, supply-chain management professor at Syracuse University, quoted AP. “You’ve got a surge in demand, and then you just lost some of your capacity. They’re already scrambling, and now they’re going to scramble even more.” Penfield warned that shoppers could face delivery delays of up to two days in mid-December, urging consumers to order early.While most air freight is international — and thus largely unaffected by the FAA directive — the cutback in domestic passenger flights, which carry about 35% of global trade by value, is expected to cause short-term constraints.FedEx said it had made “operational modifications” to keep shipments moving “safely and swiftly,” while UPS assured customers that its network remains “safe, resilient and reliable.” Both carriers said most of their flights operate outside the restricted hours, reducing immediate impact on overnight deliveries.Still, industry leaders warned of ripple effects. Mike Short, president of global freight forwarder C.H. Robinson, said the reduction in commercial flights could tighten domestic air capacity and extend transit times. “Trucks and expedited ground networks can absorb some displaced volume, but not without challenges,” he said.Smaller high-value goods such as smartphones, chips and consoles rely heavily on air transport, and experts say those shipments may face mild disruption. However, ground transport networks are expected to offset part of the capacity loss for domestic parcels.“Air cargo depends on every part of the aviation ecosystem working in sync,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association. “When capacity is cut and federal employees are stretched thin, the supply chain slows — and the longer this shutdown continues, the worse it will get.”Despite the turbulence, logistics experts say the sector has become more resilient and adaptive after years of pandemic-related shocks. “Airlines have become very good at consolidating loads and rerouting via secondary hubs,” said Eytan Buchman, chief marketing officer of Freightos. “In the near term, space may feel tighter, but this isn’t a one-to-one loss in capacity.”For now, industry watchers expect limited delays — but warn that if the shutdown drags into December, America’s holiday deliveries could face their biggest stress test in years.

Air travel across the United States could soon “slow to a trickle”, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Sunday, as the prolonged government shutdown continues to paralyse operations and disrupt flight schedules nationwide, AFP reported.Thousands of flights were cancelled or delayed through the weekend as the Trump administration ordered capacity cuts at 40 airports to ease pressure on air traffic controllers, many of whom have been working without pay since federal funding lapsed on October 1.

“Air travel is going to slow to a trickle as everyone wants to travel to see their families,” Duffy told Fox News Sunday, cautioning that the impact will worsen as the Thanksgiving holiday season approaches.The shutdown — now stretching into its sixth week — has forced federal agencies to a near standstill, with many government employees, including airport security and traffic control staff, either furloughed or working unpaid while the political standoff between Republicans and Democrats drags on.“We’re going to see very few air traffic controllers coming to work, which means only a handful of flights will take off and land,” Duffy said. “You’re going to have massive disruption and a lot of angry Americans.”Appearing later on CNN’s “State of the Union”, Duffy warned that the situation could deteriorate further if the budget impasse is not resolved soon.“It’s only going to get worse,” he said. “Many people are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights if this thing doesn’t open back up.”The continued shutdown has raised concerns among airlines and unions about passenger safety, scheduling bottlenecks, and economic losses, with analysts estimating billions of dollars in lost productivity across the aviation and tourism sectors.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said it is prioritising essential services, but widespread absenteeism among staff has already led to longer wait times, route delays, and reduced capacity.