🔗 Share this article Government Lowers US Flights as Government Closure Drags On With the historic federal government shutdown nears day 38, US airspace are set to become less congested. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs. Precautionary Steps Enacted The current administration's aviation regulatory body announced air travel is being curtailed to maintain air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, setting a new duration record and with no sign of a agreement between GOP lawmakers and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget standoff. Aviation authorities identified “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, a step requiring airlines to cancel thousands of flights and cause a series of scheduling problems and delays at key American travel hubs. Official Statement The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, commented on social media Thursday that the move was “not about politics” but rather “involving evaluation the data and reducing 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 forward-thinking steps we are taking,” Duffy remarked. Flight Cancellations Specialists anticipate hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts may constitute approximately 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an projection by the aviation analytics firm Cirium. Affected Airports The involved terminals covering numerous states include the most trafficked across the US – featuring Georgia's capital, CLT, Denver, DFW, Orlando, California gateway, Florida hotspot and Bay Area airport. Among key urban centers – including NYC, Texas city and Illinois hub – several air terminals will be involved. The trio of airports serving the nation's capital region – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and DCA – will be involved, likely creating flight disruptions for government officials as well as additional passengers. Related Updates Here’s the roster of domestic 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 presence in Washington DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal rebuke of the federal action. Several liberal representatives viewed Tuesday’s significant election victories as evidence they should maintain their position and extract as much as possible from Republicans before approving the termination of the record-breaking budget standoff in history. Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, after her declaration that post twenty congressional sessions in Congress she intends to step down. Kevin Roberts, the leader of the right-leaning policy organization behind the policy blueprint, expressed regret for supporting Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to resign.