40 Airports Slow Down, AI Aims for Orbit
The U.S. government shutdown drags on. As we noted in our last article, this is getting less sustainable by the day and is now the longest in recent history. Today we want to focus on something that could create serious headaches if you need to travel soon. The Federal Aviation Administration decided to reduce flight volume by 10 percent at 40 high-traffic airports to mitigate risk from fatigue and a shortage of controllers who are working without pay. These are not full closures, but the cutbacks will hit itineraries, tourism, and logistics across the country.
The full list of affected airports, in alphabetical order by code:
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Dallas Love (DAL)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
- Honolulu International (HNL)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Washington Dulles International (IAD)
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Memphis International (MEM)
- Miami International (MIA)
- Minneapolis–St. Paul International (MSP)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- Ontario International (ONT)
- Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Philadelphia International (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
- San Diego International (SAN)
- Louisville International (SDF)
- Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Salt Lake City International (SLC)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Tampa International (TPA)
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While air travel trims capacity due to staffing and budget gaps, artificial intelligence keeps pushing forward. Google introduced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to explore data centers in orbit using solar-powered satellites and optical interconnects capable of moving tens of terabits per second, with a learning mission alongside Planet that aims to launch two prototypes in early 2027. The logic is simple: abundant energy, falling launch costs, and a distributed architecture that can scale AI models without Earth’s physical constraints.
This contrast sums up the moment. On the ground, companies that depend on air traffic and federal processes face delays, extra costs, and official data that arrives in drips. In the sky, the race for massive compute does not slow down and signals an infrastructure leap that could redefine where and how AI models are trained and served.
What does this mean for businesses? In the short term, the 10 percent cut forces route changes, slot renegotiations, and inventory adjustments, with knock-on effects in tourism, trade, and logistics right before peak season. In the medium term, if orbital compute matures, capacity could expand dramatically, lowering the cost of training and deployment and speeding up AI adoption in sectors that are now constrained by compute budgets and processing times. In other words, friction on the ground and expansion in the sky at the same time.
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If you are directly affected by the flight reductions, act with operational discipline. If you rely on business travel, book earlier, avoid tight connections at the listed airports, and consider nearby alternates when possible. Lock in fares with flexible change terms, monitor your airline’s operations in real time, and schedule critical meetings in less congested windows. In logistics, revisit inventory buffers and transit times, prioritize critical shipments, and agree on backup plans with your 3PLs. If a distributed team was due to travel, swap in-person sessions for remote meetings with clear agendas and written follow-ups until operations stabilize. Small moves like these reduce loss from delays and keep teams focused.
For tech and digital companies, the priority is to keep roadmaps moving without blowing budgets. Nearshore staff augmentation in Latin America offers a practical path. Embed software engineers, data specialists, and QA who work in your tools and rituals, in the same time zone and with strong working English, to absorb demand spikes, accelerate critical sprints, and maintain service levels while Washington resolves the shutdown. The region is already a proven IT services hub, and the blend of talent, cultural proximity, and competitive costs lets you add capacity in weeks rather than quarters. The result is operational continuity with quality control, which matters even more when capacity cuts at 40 airports can delay teams, shipments, and key meetings.
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Looking at the longer-term panorama, expect more contingency planning, tactical outsourcing, and automation to reduce dependencies on processes that require federal approvals, while AI infrastructure scales through new avenues such as orbit. The companies that navigate both currents best will diversify suppliers, harden continuity plans, and embrace hybrid talent models. Progress does not stop. It rewards those who adapt faster and execute better.
As we often say, Square Codex benefits by offering Latin American development teams because it turns our regional strength into direct client value and sustainable growth. Time-zone and cultural alignment enable fast integration, which reduces churn and builds long-term relationships. Competitive costs improve margins without sacrificing quality, while senior profiles across backend, frontend, data, QA, and DevOps allow complete delivery squads. With applied AI, test automation, and CI/CD, our teams accelerate critical sprints and lift delivery metrics, strengthening reputation, enabling recurring revenue, and opening doors in new North American markets. We are ready to work with you whenever you need us.