🔗 Share this article

With the record-breaking federal government shutdown nears day 38, US skies are set to become a little less busy. The same cannot be said for US airports.

Safety Measures Enacted

The current administration's aviation regulatory body announced air travel is being curtailed to ensure air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, setting a new duration record and with no sign of a agreement between conservative legislators and liberal officials to end the federal budget standoff.

Flight oversight bodies pinpointed “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, a move that would force airlines to cancel thousands of flights and cause a chain reaction of scheduling issues and setbacks at major US air terminals.

Official Statement

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, stated on social media Thursday that the move was “not about politics” but rather “involving evaluation the data and mitigating 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 preventive measures we are taking,” he remarked.

Flight Cancellations

Analysts forecast hundreds or even thousands of flights might be called off. The flight decreases could represent approximately 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats collectively, per an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The involved terminals spanning over 25 states include the busiest ones across the US – including Atlanta, CLT, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, California gateway, MIA and SFO. Within major metropolitan areas – including NYC, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be involved.

All three airports serving the DC metro – Dulles Airport, BWI Airport and Reagan National – will be impacted, likely creating flight disruptions for government officials as well as the flying public.

Other Developments

• This is the list of US airports decreasing flights on Friday as a result of federal government closure.
• An ex-DOJ worker who tossed food at a government officer during the current law enforcement increase in Washington DC received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal setback of the federal intervention.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers interpreted Tuesday’s significant election victories as indication they should stand firm and gain maximum concessions from GOP members before agreeing to end the longest government shutdown in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, after her statement that after 20 terms in Congress she will leave office.
• The thinktank head, the chief of the political research group behind the conservative initiative, has apologized for backing Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to leave his position.