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With the historic federal government standoff approaches day 38, US airspace is about to get less congested. This doesn't apply for US terminals.

Protective Actions Enacted

Donald Trump’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced flights are being reduced to uphold air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government funding lapse, setting a new duration record and with no apparent progress of a resolution between GOP lawmakers and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget deadlock.

Aviation authorities selected “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic must be reduced by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a chain reaction of scheduling issues and delays at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Official Statement

The federal transportation leader, Sean Duffy, stated on X Thursday that the move was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as air traffic professionals continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” the official added.

Airline Cutbacks

Analysts forecast hundreds if not thousands of flights may be scrapped. The flight decreases could represent approximately 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 seats combined, based on an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The involved terminals including more than two dozen states include the most trafficked across the US – such as ATL, North Carolina's city, Colorado's hub, Texas metroplex, MCO, LAX, MIA and San Francisco. Within major metropolitan areas – like NYC, Houston and Illinois hub – various airports will be impacted.

The trio of airports serving the DC metro – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and Ronald Reagan Washington national – will be affected, certainly generating schedule changes for elected representatives as well as the flying public.

Related Updates

• Here’s the roster of domestic airports reducing air travel on Friday because of federal government closure.
• A former Department of Justice employee who hurled a sandwich at a federal officer during the current law enforcement presence in Washington DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal rejection of the federal intervention.
• Some Democratic legislators interpreted Tuesday’s big electoral wins as evidence they should maintain their position and gain maximum concessions from Republicans before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, following her statement that following two decades in Congress she will leave office.
• The conservative leader, the director of the conservative thinktank behind the policy blueprint, expressed regret for endorsing the commentator's interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to step down.