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As the unprecedented federal government standoff approaches day 38, US airspace will become less congested. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Precautionary Steps Put in Place

The federal aviation regulatory body stated flights are being reduced to ensure air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government closure, currently the lengthiest in history and with no apparent progress of a agreement between conservative legislators and liberal officials to end the federal budget standoff.

Flight oversight bodies selected “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, a move that would force airlines to scrub numerous flights and cause a series of scheduling issues and delays at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Administration Remarks

The federal transportation leader, Sean Duffy, wrote on social media Thursday that the decision was “not about politics” but rather “about assessing the data and alleviating accumulating danger in the system as controllers continue working without pay”.

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

Flight Cancellations

Analysts forecast hundreds or even thousands of flights may be scrapped. The cuts might account for as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats total, per an projection by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The affected airports spanning over 25 states include the highest-volume locations across the US – featuring Georgia's capital, CLT, DEN, Texas metroplex, Orlando, LAX, Florida hotspot and Bay Area airport. Within major metropolitan areas – such as New York, Houston and Chicago – multiple airports will be involved.

Each of the three air terminals serving the DC metro – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and DCA – will be affected, likely creating flight disruptions for lawmakers as well as additional passengers.

Additional Developments

• Below 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 current law enforcement presence in the capital was acquitted of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rejection of the federal involvement.
• Some Democratic legislators interpreted Tuesday’s big electoral wins as proof they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from conservative lawmakers before agreeing to end the longest government shutdown in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “most accomplished leader in American history”, after her statement that post twenty congressional sessions in Congress she will leave office.
• The conservative leader, the chief of the right-leaning policy organization behind Project 2025, issued an apology for endorsing the commentator's interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to step down.