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As the historic federal government shutdown nears day 38, US flight paths is about to get a little less busy. This doesn't apply for US air travel hubs.

Safety Measures Enacted

Donald Trump’s air traffic agency stated flight numbers are being lowered to ensure air traffic control operational integrity during the federal government closure, now the longest recorded and with little indication of a solution between conservative legislators and Democrats to end the federal budget deadlock.

Flight oversight bodies pinpointed “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, an action that will compel airlines to cancel thousands of flights and trigger a cascade of scheduling complications and delays at major US air terminals.

Administration Remarks

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, stated on online platforms Thursday that the move was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “involving evaluation the data and mitigating growing safety concerns in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“Air travel remains secure today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” Duffy added.

Airline Cutbacks

Specialists anticipate hundreds if not thousands of flights might be called off. The cuts might account for as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats total, according to an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The affected airports covering over 25 states include the busiest ones across the US – featuring ATL, North Carolina's city, DEN, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Los Angeles, MIA and San Francisco. Within major metropolitan areas – such as NYC, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be impacted.

The trio of airports serving the Washington DC area – Washington Dulles international, BWI and DCA – will be involved, inevitably causing delays and cancellations for lawmakers as well as additional passengers.

Additional Developments

• This is the list of US airports cutting flights on Friday because of federal government funding lapse.
• A previous justice department staffer who hurled a sandwich at a government officer during the current law enforcement presence in the capital received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rebuke of the federal action.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers interpreted Tuesday’s major voting successes as indication they should maintain their position and gain maximum concessions from conservative lawmakers before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Democratic officials lauded Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, following her announcement that after 20 terms in Congress she plans to retire.
• The thinktank head, the leader of the conservative thinktank behind the policy blueprint, expressed regret for backing Tucker Carlson’s interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is declining demands to step down.