Delta Air Lines cuts 170 Friday flights. When to expect more.

Delta Air Lines has canceled roughly 170 flights for Friday, Nov. 7, and already notified travelers whose flights are impacted for Nov. 8. The airline said it will have fewer cuts on the 8th because demand and daily departures are typically lower on weekends. It operates about 5,000 flights a day system-wide.

“We’re operating the vast majority of our schedule and intend to keep access to all of the markets we serve, though frequency may be affected,” the airline said in a statement. Delta told USA TODAY it plans to keep all international flights moving.

The move follows the Department of Transportation's 10% reduction in flights across 40 major U.S. airports to provide relief to the air traffic controllers who have been working without pay during the government shutdown, as announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a news conference on Nov. 5.

The directive sent airlines scrambling to rework their schedules right before the busy holiday travel season, with many travelers concerned about delays or cancellations for their upcoming flights. Cuts began at 4% on Nov. 7 and will climb to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13, and 10% by Nov. 14.

United Airlines has cut 4% of its flights through Nov. 9 and notified impacted customers. The airline is also listing each affected flight on a centralized webpage.

To minimize last-minute disruptions, Delta said it is treating these reductions similarly to how it would handle weather-related events. The carrier plans to cancel flights a day in advance so travelers have time to rebook before arriving at the airport. That approach is meant to reduce crowding and prevent day-of-travel surprises.

A travel waiver is now in place to offer customers additional flexibility to rebook without change fees. The Atlanta-based carrier also recommends using its Fly Delta app and signing up for alerts.

What will airlines do if my flight is cancelled?

If your flight has been canceled, airlines will try to rebook you automatically. But cancellation patterns may be different than those during weather events. Carriers could cancel entire round-trip loops to keep planes and crew where they need to be, said Professor Ahmed Abdelghany, associate dean for research at the David B. O’Maley College of Business in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“Canceling the round trip does not strand aircraft or crew; it just keeps them on the ground until needed later,” Abdelghany said.

If automatic rebooking options don’t work, call, use online chat or reach out via social media — and do it quickly, as seats fill fast during high disruption periods.

Contributing: Eve Chen