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With the unprecedented federal government shutdown stretches toward day 38, US flight paths is about to get less congested. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Precautionary Steps Put in Place

Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced air travel is being curtailed to ensure air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government shutdown, setting a new duration record and with little indication of a agreement between Republicans 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 6am ET on Friday, a step requiring airlines to call off thousands of journeys and trigger a series of scheduling complications and hold-ups at key American travel hubs.

Government Commentary

The federal transportation leader, Sean Duffy, wrote on X Thursday that the move was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and alleviating accumulating danger in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” he added.

Airline Cutbacks

Analysts forecast hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts may constitute as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats total, according to an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The affected airports spanning over 25 states include the highest-volume locations across the US – such as Georgia's capital, CLT, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Florida destination, LAX, Miami and Bay Area airport. Within major metropolitan areas – including NYC, Houston and Illinois hub – several air terminals will be impacted.

Each of the three air terminals operating in the nation's capital region – Dulles Airport, BWI Airport and DCA – will be affected, likely creating flight disruptions for lawmakers as well as other travelers.

Related Updates

• Below is the roster of domestic airports cutting flights on Friday as a result of federal government funding lapse.
• A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a federal officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal setback of the federal action.
• Some Democratic legislators saw Tuesday’s big electoral wins as proof they should stand firm and extract as much as possible from conservative lawmakers before approving the termination of the longest government shutdown in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “most accomplished leader in American history”, after her announcement that post twenty congressional sessions in Congress she plans to retire.
• The conservative leader, the chief of the conservative thinktank behind the conservative initiative, expressed regret for supporting the host's interview with Hitler fan Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to leave his position.