🔗 Share this article Government Reduces US Air Travel as Government Closure Stretches On As the historic federal government shutdown stretches toward day 38, US airspace is about to get a little less busy. This doesn't apply for US airports. Precautionary Steps Implemented Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said air travel is being curtailed to ensure air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government closure, currently the lengthiest in history and with no sign of a solution between Republicans and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget impasse. Airline regulators selected “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic must be reduced by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to cancel thousands of flights and trigger a series of scheduling complications and setbacks at major US air terminals. Government Commentary The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, commented on online platforms Thursday that the action was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “involving evaluation the data and mitigating accumulating danger in the system as controllers continue working without pay”. “Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the forward-thinking steps we are taking,” the official stated. Travel Disruptions Analysts forecast numerous potentially thousands of flights may be scrapped. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats collectively, according to an projection by the aviation analytics firm Cirium. Impacted Locations The involved terminals covering numerous states include the busiest ones across the US – such as Georgia's capital, North Carolina's city, DEN, DFW, Florida destination, Los Angeles, Florida hotspot and Bay Area airport. Among key urban centers – including New York, Texas city and Chicago – multiple airports will be impacted. Each of the three air terminals operating in the DC metro – Dulles Airport, Baltimore/Washington international and DCA – will be impacted, inevitably causing delays and cancellations for government officials as well as other travelers. Related Updates Here’s the compilation of American air terminals reducing air travel on Friday as a result of federal government shutdown. An ex-DOJ worker who tossed food at a federal officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in the capital was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal setback of the federal action. Some Democratic legislators viewed Tuesday’s significant election victories as proof they should hold the line and secure the best deal from conservative lawmakers before agreeing to end the lengthiest federal closure in history. Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, subsequent to her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she plans to retire. The conservative leader, the chief of the right-leaning policy organization behind Project 2025, has apologized for endorsing the commentator's interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is declining demands to leave his position.