Coming off a strong September, Sabre reported in its Q3 2025 earning call that October air distribution bookings fell by about 3 points. Sabre President and CEO Kurt Ekert added that this drop-off was the result of the U.S. government shutdown, and he expects this impact to carry through the remainder of the year.

Mike Randolfi, Sabre’s CFO, explained that initial fourth quarter bookings were expected to grow between 6 and 14%, with a midpoint of 10%. The readjusted forecast now shows booking growth of 6 to 8% with a 7% midpoint—a continued decline of 3%. “The 3-percentage point reduction in the midpoint of our guide is driven primarily by the impact of the government shutdown,” said Randolfi.

This earning call, however, came just as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced planned flight cuts at 40 of the busiest airports in the U.S. this weekend. Starting at a 4% cut on Friday, that number will increase until it reaches 10% of flights at the airports next week.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, the 37-day government shutdown—the longest in history—has already cost the industry more than $4 billion. And, with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday—typically one of the busiest travel times of the year—U.S Travel said, “the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically devastating to communities in every states.”

Despite the shutdown, Ekert added, “The commentary around the broader travel industry is encouraging and could signal a normalization of trends going forward. We continue to believe the challenges we have navigated during 2025 are largely transitory and as volumes from our growth strategies accelerate through the end of the year, we are well positioned for growth.”