🔗 Share this article Federal Authorities Lowers US Air Travel as Shutdown Continues Amid the unprecedented federal government closure nears day 38, US skies is about to get somewhat quieter. This doesn't apply for US air travel hubs. Safety Measures Put in Place The current administration's aviation regulatory body has said air travel is being curtailed to uphold air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a solution between GOP lawmakers and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget standoff. Flight oversight bodies identified “busiest routes” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, a move that would force airlines to call off thousands of journeys and create a series of scheduling problems and hold-ups at key American travel hubs. Administration Remarks Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, stated 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”. “Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Duffy added. Airline Cutbacks Specialists anticipate hundreds or even thousands of flights could be canceled. The flight decreases might account for as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats total, according to an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium. Targeted Terminals The involved terminals covering more than two dozen states include the highest-volume locations across the US – including ATL, Charlotte, Colorado's hub, Dallas/Fort Worth, MCO, Los Angeles, Florida hotspot and Bay Area airport. Within major metropolitan areas – like NYC, Texas city and Chicago – multiple airports will be involved. The trio of airports serving the Washington DC area – Dulles Airport, BWI and DCA – will be affected, inevitably causing schedule changes for elected representatives as well as the flying public. Other Developments This is the list of US airports decreasing flights on Friday because of federal government closure. A former Department of Justice employee who hurled a sandwich at a government officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in Washington DC received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rebuke of the federal intervention. Several liberal representatives saw Tuesday’s significant election victories as indication they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from GOP members before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history. Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, after her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she intends to step down. The conservative leader, the director of the conservative thinktank behind the conservative initiative, expressed regret for supporting the commentator's interview with Hitler fan Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to step down.