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With the record-breaking federal government shutdown nears day 38, US flight paths are set to become a little less busy. Contrastingly for US air travel hubs.

Protective Actions Implemented

Donald Trump’s air traffic agency announced flights are being reduced to uphold air traffic control security during the federal government closure, now the longest recorded and with no apparent progress of a resolution between GOP lawmakers and liberal officials to end the federal budget impasse.

Flight oversight bodies selected “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to call off thousands of journeys and trigger a cascade of scheduling problems and delays at key American travel hubs.

Administration Remarks

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, wrote on X Thursday that the action was “not politically driven” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and alleviating accumulating danger in the system as controllers continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Duffy added.

Airline Cutbacks

Analysts forecast hundreds or even thousands of flights may be scrapped. The flight decreases may constitute as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats total, according to an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Targeted Terminals

The targeted air hubs covering over 25 states include the most trafficked across the US – featuring Atlanta, CLT, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, LAX, Florida hotspot and SFO. Among key urban centers – like NYC, Houston and Illinois hub – various airports will be involved.

Each of the three air terminals serving the DC metro – IAD, BWI and Reagan National – will be involved, likely creating delays and cancellations for elected representatives as well as other travelers.

Related Updates

• Below is the list of US airports decreasing flights on Friday due to federal government closure.
• A previous justice department staffer who threw a sandwich at a government officer during the administration's law enforcement presence in Washington DC received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal rejection of the federal action.
• Several liberal representatives interpreted Tuesday’s major voting successes as proof they should maintain their position and gain maximum concessions from conservative lawmakers before consenting to conclude the record-breaking budget standoff in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, after her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she will leave office.
• The thinktank head, the director of the political research group behind the conservative initiative, issued an apology for backing Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is declining demands to step down.