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As the unprecedented federal government shutdown approaches day 38, US airspace will become somewhat quieter. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Precautionary Steps Enacted

Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced flight numbers are being lowered to ensure air traffic control safety during the federal government closure, currently the lengthiest in history and with no sign of a agreement between GOP lawmakers and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget deadlock.

Aviation authorities selected “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, a step requiring airlines to scrub numerous flights and trigger a chain reaction of scheduling issues and hold-ups at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Administration Remarks

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, commented on online platforms Thursday that the decision was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and reducing building risk in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the forward-thinking steps we are taking,” he stated.

Travel Disruptions

Analysts forecast hundreds if not thousands of flights might be called off. These reductions could represent as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats collectively, based on an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The involved terminals covering over 25 states include the highest-volume locations across the US – including Georgia's capital, CLT, Denver, Texas metroplex, Orlando, Los Angeles, MIA and Bay Area airport. Within major metropolitan areas – such as New York, Houston and Illinois hub – various airports will be affected.

Each of the three air terminals operating in the DC metro – IAD, Baltimore/Washington international and Reagan National – will be impacted, inevitably causing schedule changes for lawmakers as well as other travelers.

Additional Developments

• This is the roster of domestic airports cutting flights on Friday as a result of federal government shutdown.
• A previous justice department staffer who hurled a sandwich at a federal agent during the current law enforcement presence in Washington DC was acquitted of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal setback of the federal intervention.
• Several liberal representatives viewed Tuesday’s big electoral wins as indication they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans before approving the termination of the longest government shutdown in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, following her declaration that post twenty congressional sessions in Congress she plans to retire.
• The thinktank head, the director of the right-leaning policy organization behind the conservative initiative, expressed regret for endorsing Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to resign.