The Air Show Airlines cope with FAA chaos + we take your questions
Nov 11, 2025
Brett Snyder and Jon Ostrower dive into the chaos caused by the DOT and FAA's flight reduction orders, highlighting the operational turmoil at major airports. They explore airline executives' skepticism about the motives behind these changes, questioning the safety rationale. The hosts also discuss listener feedback on American Airlines' leadership and the shrinking presence of 50-seat regional jets. Finally, they analyze the competitive dynamics between Air Canada and Porter at Billy Bishop Airport.
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Chaos From A Hasty FAA Order
- The DOT and FAA ordered airlines to cut schedules up to 10% at top airports to ease controller strain, producing chaotic implementation and widespread disruption.
- Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder say the order lacked data and likely politicized aviation, making recovery slow even after a shutdown ends.
DFW Pileup Visualized On FlightRadar24
- Jon described a moment when DFW operations briefly halted on the west side, leaving dozens of aircraft piled up on the east side of the field.
- He used the FlightRadar24 aerial view to convey the immediate, visible chaos controllers and airlines faced.
Targeted Cuts Don't Fix Systemic Strain
- NAS status pages lit up across airports, showing severe, unpredictable delays at hubs like Atlanta and DFW during the shutdown.
- Jon argues the DOT/DOT solution was mis-targeted and functionally 'whack-a-mole' because operational issues pop up unpredictably.