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Amid the unprecedented federal government standoff stretches toward day 38, US flight paths is about to get a little less busy. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Safety Measures Put in Place

The federal air traffic agency has said flights are being reduced to ensure air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government closure, currently the lengthiest in history and with no sign of a solution between Republicans and liberal officials to end the federal budget deadlock.

Aviation authorities selected “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a series of scheduling problems and setbacks at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Administration Remarks

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, stated on X Thursday that the action was “not politically driven” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and mitigating building risk in the system as air traffic professionals continue working without pay”.

“Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” Duffy remarked.

Airline Cutbacks

Specialists anticipate hundreds or even thousands of flights could be canceled. The flight decreases may constitute approximately 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 seats total, per an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Targeted Terminals

The affected airports including numerous states include the highest-volume locations across the US – such as Atlanta, CLT, Colorado's hub, Dallas/Fort Worth, MCO, LAX, Florida hotspot and SFO. Within major metropolitan areas – like New York, Texas city and Illinois hub – several air terminals will be impacted.

The trio of airports serving the nation's capital region – IAD, Baltimore/Washington international and Reagan National – will be involved, certainly generating delays and cancellations for elected representatives as well as the flying public.

Additional Developments

• This is the roster of domestic airports decreasing flights on Friday because of federal government shutdown.
• A previous justice department staffer who hurled a sandwich at a federal officer during the current law enforcement presence in the capital was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal rejection of the federal action.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers saw Tuesday’s big electoral wins as proof they should hold the line and gain maximum concessions from GOP members before agreeing to end the longest government shutdown in history.
• Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, subsequent to her statement that after 20 terms in Congress she will leave office.
• The thinktank head, the director of the conservative thinktank behind Project 2025, expressed regret for supporting Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to resign.