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With the historic federal government closure stretches toward day 38, US flight paths is about to get less congested. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Protective Actions Enacted

The current administration's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated flights are being reduced to maintain air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no apparent progress of a resolution between Republicans and liberal officials to end the federal budget impasse.

Flight oversight bodies identified “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday, a step requiring airlines to scrub numerous flights and trigger a cascade of scheduling complications and setbacks at major US air terminals.

Government Commentary

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, commented on social media Thursday that the move was “not about politics” 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 proactive actions we are taking,” the official stated.

Travel Disruptions

Specialists anticipate numerous potentially thousands of flights may be scrapped. These reductions could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats total, per an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Impacted Locations

The targeted air hubs including more than two dozen states include the busiest ones across the US – including Georgia's capital, North Carolina's city, Colorado's hub, Texas metroplex, MCO, LAX, MIA and SFO. Within major metropolitan areas – like New York, Houston and Chicago – various airports will be involved.

Each of the three air terminals serving the nation's capital region – IAD, BWI and Ronald Reagan Washington national – will be involved, inevitably causing delays and cancellations for lawmakers as well as other travelers.

Other Developments

• Below is the compilation of American air terminals cutting flights on Friday due to federal government closure.
• A former Department of Justice employee who tossed food at a federal agent during the current law enforcement surge in the capital was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal rejection of the federal involvement.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers viewed Tuesday’s significant election victories as indication they should stand firm and extract as much as possible from Republicans before agreeing to end the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “symbol” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, after her declaration that post twenty congressional sessions in Congress she intends to step down.
• The thinktank head, the director of the conservative thinktank behind Project 2025, has apologized for endorsing the host's interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to leave his position.