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With the record-breaking federal government closure nears day 38, US skies are set to become less congested. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Protective Actions Put in Place

Donald Trump’s aviation regulatory body announced flight numbers are being lowered to uphold air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no apparent progress of a solution between Republicans and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget deadlock.

Flight oversight bodies identified “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, a step requiring airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a chain reaction of scheduling complications and delays at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Official Statement

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, stated on X Thursday that the decision was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “involving evaluation the data and reducing accumulating danger in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Duffy added.

Flight Cancellations

Specialists anticipate hundreds or even thousands of flights may be scrapped. These reductions may constitute approximately 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats combined, based on an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The involved terminals spanning over 25 states include the busiest ones across the US – featuring Atlanta, Charlotte, Colorado's hub, DFW, Florida destination, Los Angeles, MIA and SFO. In some of the biggest cities – including New York, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be involved.

All three airports operating in the DC metro – Washington Dulles international, BWI and Ronald Reagan Washington national – will be affected, certainly generating flight disruptions for government officials as well as the flying public.

Other Developments

• This is the list of US airports reducing air travel on Friday because of federal government funding lapse.
• A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a government officer during the administration's law enforcement surge in the capital received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal rejection of the federal action.
• Some Democratic legislators saw Tuesday’s significant election victories as proof they should stand firm and secure the best deal from GOP members before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “courageous, pioneering” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, following her announcement that following two decades in Congress she plans to retire.
• The thinktank head, the director of the conservative thinktank behind the conservative initiative, issued an apology for supporting the commentator's interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to step down.