Administration Cuts Back US Air Travel as Government Closure Drags On

Amid the record-breaking federal government shutdown nears day 38, US airspace is about to get somewhat quieter. The same cannot be said for US terminals.

Precautionary Steps Put in Place

Donald Trump’s aviation regulatory body announced flight numbers are being lowered to maintain air traffic control security during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a solution between Republicans and Democrats to end the federal budget standoff.

Flight oversight bodies identified “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, a move that would force airlines to call off thousands of journeys and cause a cascade of scheduling complications and setbacks at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Government Commentary

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, stated on social media Thursday that the action was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and mitigating accumulating danger in the system as controllers continue working without pay”.

“Flying is safe today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” the official remarked.

Travel Disruptions

Analysts forecast hundreds or even thousands of flights may be scrapped. The flight decreases might account for up to 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 seats collectively, according to an projection by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The involved terminals spanning over 25 states include the busiest ones across the US – such as ATL, CLT, DEN, DFW, Florida destination, LAX, MIA and Bay Area airport. Among key urban centers – such as New York, Houston and Chicago – multiple airports will be affected.

All three airports operating in the Washington DC area – Dulles Airport, Baltimore/Washington international and Reagan National – will be affected, likely creating flight disruptions for elected representatives as well as other travelers.

Additional Developments

• Here’s the list of US airports reducing air travel on Friday as a result of federal government shutdown.
• An ex-DOJ worker who threw a sandwich at a federal officer during the administration's law enforcement presence in the capital was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal rejection of the federal involvement.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers saw Tuesday’s significant election victories as proof they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans before agreeing to end the record-breaking budget standoff in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, following her statement that following two decades in Congress she will leave office.
• Kevin Roberts, the director of the political research group behind the policy blueprint, expressed regret for backing the host's interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to step down.