🔗 Share this article

Amid the record-breaking federal government closure stretches toward day 38, US flight paths will become somewhat quieter. This doesn't apply for US terminals.

Precautionary Steps Implemented

The current administration's aviation regulatory body announced flights are being reduced to uphold air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government shutdown, currently the lengthiest in history and with little indication of a resolution between GOP lawmakers and Democrats to end the federal budget standoff.

Airline regulators identified “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a cascade of scheduling issues and delays at key American travel hubs.

Administration Remarks

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, commented on social media Thursday that the move was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and reducing accumulating danger in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” Duffy added.

Travel Disruptions

Experts predict hundreds or even thousands of flights could be canceled. The flight decreases could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, based on an projection by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The affected airports including more than two dozen states include the busiest ones across the US – including Atlanta, CLT, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Florida destination, LAX, Florida hotspot and San Francisco. Among key urban centers – like New York, Houston and Illinois hub – multiple airports will be impacted.

Each of the three air terminals serving the DC metro – IAD, BWI Airport and Reagan National – will be affected, inevitably causing schedule changes for elected representatives as well as the flying public.

Additional Developments

• This is the compilation of American air terminals reducing air travel on Friday because of federal government shutdown.
• An ex-DOJ worker who threw a sandwich at a federal officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in DC received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rejection of the federal involvement.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers interpreted Tuesday’s big electoral wins as proof they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, after her statement that after 20 terms in Congress she intends to step down.
• The thinktank head, the chief of the right-leaning policy organization behind the policy blueprint, expressed regret for endorsing Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to resign.