WASHINGTON — The United States government will cut flight operations by 10 percent at 40 major airports beginning Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday, as the ongoing federal shutdown entered its 36th day and continued to strain the nation’s air travel system.
The reduction, described by officials as a precautionary step, is expected to affect between 3,500 and 4,000 flights per day, covering both commercial passenger airlines and cargo carriers. The specific airports facing cutbacks are expected to be identified on Thursday.
“This is proactive,” Duffy said during a press briefing. “We thought 10 percent was the right number based on the pressure we were seeing.” He noted that there is currently no timeline for restoring full operations.
The announcement followed Duffy’s earlier warning that disruptions could escalate to “chaos” in the skies if the shutdown continued. The Federal Aviation Administration said the move is necessary to maintain safety and reduce strain on air traffic facilities facing staffing shortages. Thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration screeners have been reporting to work without pay since the shutdown began.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said internal data shows signs of fatigue and operational stress across several key traffic control centers. “As we slice the data more granularly, we are seeing pressures build in a way that we don’t feel, if we allow it to go unchecked, will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world,” he said.
Air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers, requiring them to remain on duty even during funding lapses. The 10 percent cut marks the first time the FAA has scaled down scheduled flight capacity due to a government shutdown.
Officials acknowledged that travelers should expect delays and potential cancellations nationwide, especially as the busy Thanksgiving travel season approaches.
Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, said it is working with the government to understand the scope of the order and will attempt to limit disruptions to passengers and shippers.
The FAA stressed that U.S. airspace remains safe and fully functional but warned that further measures may be necessary if staffing shortages continue.
Delays have already increased at several airports, with more than 5,000 flights delayed nationwide on Sunday alone. (Source: IANS)
