Delta Air Lines Reducing Nearly 20% Of New York Flights Due To FAA Slot Utilization Waiver Extension

Delta Air Lines is cutting nearly 20% of its New York City capacity in the post-holiday 2025-2026 season. Planned flight schedules show a reduction of 15-20% in operations at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

November, December, March and April are also expected to see a slowing of around 10% according to analysis by the Points Guy, supported by Cirium schedule data. The reduced capacity will not mean any routes are cut entirely, but simply the number of aircraft assigned to each route out of JFK and LGA will be reduced.

Delta Chopping The Throttle

The Federal Aviation Administration “Limited Waiver of the Slot Usage Requirement” allows Delta Air Lines to cut the frequency of flights into the NYC area without losing