U.S. officials announced a 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 major air traffic zones nationwide set for Friday, as the protracted government shutdown continues.
Since Congress failed to approve funding beyond September 30, federal agencies have been gradually shutting down, leaving about 1.4 million federal employees, including air traffic controllers and park wardens, on unpaid leave or working without pay.
“We are implementing a 10% capacity reduction at 40 of our key locations,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated at a White House briefing on Wednesday, indicating these changes would take effect on Friday.
Frozen chicken sits on boxes as people line up in vehicles for free food from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank on November 5, 2025, in City of Industry, California. — AFP
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Bryan Bedford specified the cuts would affect “40 high-traffic markets.”
A suggested list provided to CBS News indicated some of the nation’s busiest airports, including those in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City, may be impacted.
AFP has reached out to the Department of Transport and FAA for specifics on affected airports.
The shutdown broke the record for the longest in history on Wednesday, surpassing the previous 35-day shutdown during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Significant delays caused by airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay were pivotal in ending the 2019 shutdown under Trump.
– ‘Jeopardy’ –
Over 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers are currently working without pay, with the White House warning that rising absenteeism could result in check-in chaos.
House Speaker Mike Johnson noted in late October that staffing shortages caused 5% of flight delays, a figure that has now surged to over 50%.
He cautioned that the “longer the shutdown persists and fewer air traffic controllers report to work, the safety of the American public is increasingly jeopardized.”
Nonetheless, both Democrats and Republicans remain steadfast on the main issue causing the shutdown: health care spending.
Democrats assert they will only end the funding gap after reaching an agreement to extend insurance subsidies crucial for affordable health care for millions of Americans.
Conversely, Republicans demand that health care be addressed only after Democrats vote to resume government operations in Washington.
Trump has intensified pressure on Democrats by threatening mass federal worker layoffs and targeting progressive priorities during the shutdown.
He reiterated Tuesday his administration’s threat to cut a critical aid program aiding 42 million Americans with grocery payments for the first time in over 60 years, despite the move being blocked by two courts.
The White House later clarified its “full compliance” with legal obligations and efforts to process partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments “as promptly and extensively as possible.”
