The United States will reduce flight capacity by 10 percent at 40 major airports beginning Friday, as the deepening government shutdown continues to strain operations across the country’s aviation system.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the development during a White House briefing on Wednesday, saying the continued budget impasse in Congress has left tens of thousands of aviation personnel either unpaid or furloughed.
“We will be implementing a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” Duffy said, noting that the cuts are expected to have an immediate impact on travel schedules.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the reductions will affect some of the busiest airports in the country, including those serving Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York, though the final list is still being compiled.
The shutdown—now the longest in US history—began when lawmakers failed to pass new federal funding before September 30. More than 1.4 million federal workers are currently off the job or working without pay, including thousands of air traffic controllers and TSA officers responsible for keeping the nation's air travel system functioning.
Rising absenteeism among unpaid staff has already led to longer wait times and sporadic delays at airports. Aviation analysts warn that further labour shortages could heighten safety risks and trigger widespread flight cancellations as travel ramps up into the holiday season.
House Speaker Mike Johnson recently cautioned that the rate of staffing-related travel delays has surged from around five percent to more than half of all flights nationwide. “Every additional day of this shutdown pushes us closer to a full breakdown of the system,” he said.
Negotiations to end the shutdown remain gridlocked, largely over disputes involving health care spending. Democrats are insisting on renewing key insurance subsidies as part of any deal, while Republicans have insisted that the government must reopen before those issues are addressed.
President Donald Trump has meanwhile signalled that he is willing to maintain pressure, threatening broader federal workforce cuts and reiterating attempts to curtail food assistance benefits - a move currently blocked in court.
With no agreement in sight, aviation officials warn travelers to expect escalating disruptions in the days ahead.
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