Adds more details from FAA, background on request in paragraphs 4-10

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration agreed on Wednesday to extend cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City airports through October 2026, citing significant air traffic controller staffing shortages.

Under minimum flight requirements, airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA's waiver allows airlines to fly 10% fewer flights. The FAA has previously issued a series of waivers to address the staffing issues at JFK and LaGuardia for several years.

The FAA said it does not anticipate issuing further broad slot waivers as it works on a "long-term solution to solve the chronic low levels of fully certified air traffic controllers" overseeing New York traffic.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing American Airlines AAL.O, United Airlines UAL.O Delta Air Lines DAL.N Southwest Airlines LUV.N in April asked for an extension through October 2027 and also to cover flights at Newark.

In May, the FAA ordered flight cuts at Newark, one of the main airports serving New York City following a series of major disruptions.

The airlines said this year about 75% of all delays in the National Airspace System occur because of delays in the NYC Airspace. "Delays and cancellations in the NYC Airspace ripple across the entire NAS so it is critical to ensure this part of the system is healthy," the group said.

The FAA is also extending flexibility for impacted flights operating between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New York airports.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and a series of near-miss incidents has raised concerns in recent years, but Congress approved $12.5 billion in recent weeks to boost hiring and overhaul the system.

A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. A report last month found the FAA's air traffic workforce in 2024 logged 2.2 million hours of overtime, costing $200 million.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft)

((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))