Federal Authorities Cuts Back US Air Travel as Government Closure Continues

Amid the unprecedented federal government closure stretches toward day 38, US airspace is about to get somewhat quieter. The same cannot be said for US airports.

Precautionary Steps Put in Place

The federal air traffic agency has said flights are being reduced to maintain air traffic control safety during the federal government shutdown, setting a new duration record and with little indication of a solution between GOP lawmakers and liberal officials to end the federal budget impasse.

Airline regulators selected “busiest routes” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, a step requiring airlines to scrub numerous flights and create a series of scheduling problems and delays at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Government Commentary

The federal transportation leader, Sean Duffy, commented on online platforms Thursday that the action was “not politically driven” but rather “involving evaluation the data and alleviating accumulating danger in the system as air traffic professionals continue working without pay”.

“Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” he added.

Flight Cancellations

Analysts forecast hundreds if not thousands of flights may be scrapped. The flight decreases might account for up to 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats total, per an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The involved terminals covering more than two dozen states include the most trafficked across the US – such as ATL, CLT, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, MCO, California gateway, Miami and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities – like NYC, Houston and Illinois hub – various airports will be affected.

Each of the three air terminals operating in the Washington DC area – Dulles Airport, BWI Airport and Reagan National – will be affected, certainly generating flight disruptions for government officials as well as the flying public.

Related Updates

• Here’s the roster of domestic airports decreasing flights on Friday due to federal government funding lapse.
• An ex-DOJ worker who tossed food at a federal agent during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in DC was acquitted of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rejection of the federal action.
• Some Democratic legislators viewed Tuesday’s major voting successes as proof they should maintain their position and extract as much as possible from Republicans before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “courageous, pioneering” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, following her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she will leave office.
• The conservative leader, the chief of the right-leaning policy organization behind the conservative initiative, issued an apology for supporting Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to resign.