Government Lowers US Flights as Shutdown Continues

With the record-breaking federal government closure nears day 38, US airspace will become a little less busy. The same cannot be said for US terminals.

Safety Measures Put in Place

Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated flights are being reduced to ensure air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no apparent progress of a resolution between conservative legislators and Democrats to end the federal budget standoff.

Airline regulators selected “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to cancel thousands of flights and trigger a series of scheduling problems and delays at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Administration Remarks

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, commented on social media Thursday that the move was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and mitigating accumulating danger in the system as controllers continue working without pay”.

“Air travel remains secure today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” the official remarked.

Airline Cutbacks

Analysts forecast numerous potentially thousands of flights might be called off. The cuts may constitute as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The targeted air hubs spanning over 25 states include the highest-volume locations across the US – such as Atlanta, North Carolina's city, DEN, DFW, Orlando, LAX, Miami and San Francisco. Among key urban centers – such as New York, Houston and Illinois hub – multiple airports will be impacted.

All three airports operating in the DC metro – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and Reagan National – will be affected, inevitably causing flight disruptions for elected representatives as well as other travelers.

Additional Developments

• Below is the compilation of American air terminals reducing air travel on Friday due to federal government closure.
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