• The Airforwarders Association has criticised the FAA’s decision to reduce operations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport to 2,708 daily flights, arguing it exposes deeper issues around underinvestment in aviation infrastructure and air traffic control staffing shortages.
• The flight cuts, down from over 3,000 planned peak-day movements, are intended to ease congestion but are expected to reduce air cargo capacity and increase delays at a key US logistics hub, with knock-on effects for time-sensitive supply chains.
• The AfA also warned that wider systemic pressures, including a DHS shutdown and TSA workforce losses, are compounding aviation risk and called for coordinated federal action to stabilise staffing and safeguard efficient freight and passenger flows.
The Airforwarders Association (AfA) has criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to cut hundreds of daily flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, warning that the move reflects long-standing failures to invest in aviation infrastructure and air traffic control.
The FAA has ordered airlines to reduce operations at O’Hare to 2,708 daily flights during the summer season, down from more than 3,000 planned peak-day movements, in a bid to reduce delays and congestion at one of the United States’ busiest cargo and passenger hubs.
“This is not a surprise, it is the consequence of years of underinvestment in airport infrastructure and a failure to adequately staff the air traffic control system,” said Brandon Fried, Executive Director, Airforwarders Association.
“When demand outpaces what the system can safely handle, the result is disruption, reduced capacity, and higher costs that ripple across the supply chain.”
The AfA warned that cutting flights at a major global gateway will constrain air cargo capacity, increase delays, and add further pressure to already strained supply chains, particularly for time-sensitive shipments.
The Association also reiterated its call for an immediate resolution to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, warning the situation is approaching a critical point for aviation security.
More than 780 Transportation Security Administration officers have resigned during the shutdown and funding for the twice-monthly payroll is expected to end in early May.
“While aviation security remains robust, the longer-term impact of workforce disruption is real,” said Fried.
“We urgently need a resolution that restores stability, including a sustainable, long-term approach to pay for Transportation Security Administration personnel.”
The AfA is calling on federal authorities to take coordinated action to address infrastructure constraints, rebuild staffing resilience, and ensure that policy decisions support, rather than restrict, the efficient movement of goods.
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