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With the record-breaking federal government shutdown approaches day 38, US flight paths will become somewhat quieter. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Safety Measures Enacted

The federal Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced flights are being reduced to ensure air traffic control security during the federal government funding lapse, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a resolution between GOP lawmakers and Democratic representatives to end the federal budget deadlock.

Flight oversight bodies identified “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, a move that would force airlines to call off thousands of journeys and trigger a series of scheduling problems and setbacks at some of the nation’s largest airports.

Government Commentary

The federal transportation leader, Sean Duffy, commented on online platforms Thursday that the decision was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “about assessing the data and mitigating growing safety concerns in the system as controllers continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” he stated.

Travel Disruptions

Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. These reductions could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats collectively, based on an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The affected airports spanning over 25 states include the most trafficked across the US – such as ATL, CLT, Colorado's hub, DFW, Florida destination, LAX, Miami and SFO. Within major metropolitan areas – like New York, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be involved.

Each of the three air terminals operating in the nation's capital region – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and Reagan National – will be involved, inevitably causing flight disruptions for elected representatives as well as additional passengers.

Other Developments

• Below is the list of US airports reducing air travel on Friday because of federal government closure.
• A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a government officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement increase in DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday marking another legal rebuke of the federal involvement.
• Some Democratic legislators viewed Tuesday’s big electoral wins as evidence they should hold the line and secure the best deal from GOP members before agreeing to end the record-breaking budget standoff in history.
• Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, subsequent to her statement that following two decades in Congress she plans to retire.
• The conservative leader, the chief of the right-leaning policy organization behind the conservative initiative, has apologized for supporting Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to leave his position.