Overview
- The reduction begins Friday and will apply to schedules at the 40 most-trafficked U.S. airports, with final selections coordinated with airlines.
- The FAA cautioned that further restrictions may follow, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned parts of U.S. airspace could be closed if the shutdown persists for another week.
- Analysts at Cirium estimate the move could remove up to 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 seats per day, affecting hubs including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
- About 13,000 air traffic controllers and roughly 50,000 TSA employees are working without pay, contributing to staff shortages, long security lines and widespread delays.
- The government stoppage is now the longest on record, disrupting SNAP benefits for tens of millions and leaving around 1.4 million federal employees furloughed or unpaid with no deal yet in place.