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As the unprecedented federal government standoff approaches day 38, US skies will become somewhat quieter. This doesn't apply for US air travel hubs.

Safety Measures Implemented

The current administration's aviation regulatory body announced flight numbers are being lowered to ensure air traffic control safety during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a solution between conservative legislators and liberal officials to end the federal budget deadlock.

Flight oversight bodies pinpointed “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, a step requiring airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a series of scheduling problems and setbacks at major US air terminals.

Administration Remarks

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, commented on social media Thursday that the decision was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “involving evaluation the data and reducing growing safety concerns in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“Air travel remains secure today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the forward-thinking steps we are taking,” he added.

Airline Cutbacks

Experts predict hundreds or even thousands of flights could be canceled. The flight decreases could represent approximately 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats combined, according to an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The affected airports covering numerous states include the highest-volume locations across the US – including ATL, CLT, DEN, Dallas/Fort Worth, Florida destination, Los Angeles, MIA and San Francisco. Among key urban centers – like NYC, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be involved.

Each of the three air terminals serving the nation's capital region – Dulles Airport, Baltimore/Washington international and DCA – will be affected, inevitably causing flight disruptions for lawmakers as well as additional passengers.

Related Updates

• This is the list of US airports decreasing flights on Friday because of federal government shutdown.
• A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a government officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in Washington DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal setback of the federal involvement.
• Several liberal representatives viewed Tuesday’s big electoral wins as proof they should maintain their position and extract as much as possible from conservative lawmakers before agreeing to end the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “most accomplished leader in American history”, after her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she intends to step down.
• Kevin Roberts, the leader of the right-leaning policy organization behind the policy blueprint, issued an apology for supporting Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to step down.