The United States has announced plans to cut 10 percent of scheduled flight capacity across 40 major air traffic regions beginning Friday, as the country’s longest-ever government shutdown continues to cripple federal operations and strain essential services.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed the measure during a White House briefing on Wednesday, warning that the prolonged shutdown was now affecting critical sectors. “There is going to be a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” Duffy said, adding that the directive would take effect on Friday.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford, the cuts will affect “40 high traffic environment markets.” A proposed list seen by CBS News suggests that some of America’s busiest airports, including those in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City, could be among those hardest hit.
Okay News reports that the shutdown, now in its sixth week, has already become the longest in US history, surpassing the 35-day record set during former President Donald Trump’s first term. The impasse stems from a bitter standoff in Congress over funding and health care spending.
Federal agencies have largely ground to a halt since lawmakers failed to approve new spending before the September 30 deadline, forcing about 1.4 million federal employees — from air traffic controllers to park wardens — either into unpaid work or temporary leave.
More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are currently working without pay. The White House has acknowledged that rising absenteeism among these staff could cause chaos in airports nationwide. “The longer the shutdown goes on, and as fewer air traffic controllers show up to work, the safety of the American people is thrown further into jeopardy,” House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned last month.
During the 2019 shutdown, hundreds of airport workers called in sick to protest unpaid work — a disruption that eventually pressured the Trump administration to reach a deal. Officials now fear history may repeat itself if a resolution is not reached soon.
Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided over the key issue blocking a deal. Democrats have vowed not to support reopening the government until an agreement is reached to extend health insurance subsidies for millions of Americans. Republicans, however, insist that the health care debate can only resume once federal funding is restored.
President Trump has escalated pressure on Congress, threatening mass layoffs of federal workers and potential suspension of certain welfare programs. Earlier this week, he reiterated his administration’s intent to freeze a vital food aid program that helps 42 million low-income Americans buy groceries — a move that has already been blocked by two federal courts.
In a statement late Tuesday, the White House clarified that it was “fully complying” with legal obligations and would continue to issue partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments “as much as we can and as quickly as we can.”
The shutdown’s ripple effects have begun to alarm global investors and international airlines, with concerns that flight delays in US airspace could disrupt travel schedules and cargo shipments across continents.
As the political impasse persists, experts warn that the shutdown’s impact on aviation safety, food assistance, and federal services could grow even more severe, leaving millions of Americans and travelers worldwide in uncertainty.
