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As the record-breaking federal government standoff approaches day 38, US airspace is about to get a little less busy. The same cannot be said for US air travel hubs.

Safety Measures Implemented

The federal air traffic agency stated air travel is being curtailed to ensure air traffic control safety during the federal government funding lapse, currently the lengthiest in history and with no apparent progress of a solution between Republicans and Democrats to end the federal budget impasse.

Flight oversight bodies selected “high-volume markets” where the FAA says air traffic must be reduced by 4% by early morning Eastern Time on Friday, a step requiring airlines to call off thousands of journeys and trigger a chain reaction of scheduling complications and delays at key American travel hubs.

Government Commentary

The administration's transportation head, Sean Duffy, wrote on online platforms Thursday that the action was “unrelated to political motives” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and alleviating growing safety concerns in the system as air traffic professionals continue working without pay”.

“Air travel remains secure today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the forward-thinking steps we are taking,” Duffy stated.

Airline Cutbacks

Specialists anticipate numerous potentially thousands of flights might be called off. The cuts may constitute approximately 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats combined, per an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Targeted Terminals

The involved terminals covering more than two dozen states include the most trafficked across the US – featuring ATL, Charlotte, DEN, DFW, Orlando, California gateway, Miami and SFO. Within major metropolitan areas – including New York, Houston and Chicago – multiple airports will be impacted.

The trio of airports serving the nation's capital region – Dulles Airport, BWI Airport and DCA – will be affected, likely creating schedule changes for government officials as well as additional passengers.

Other Developments

• Here’s the roster of domestic airports decreasing flights on Friday because of federal government funding lapse.
• A former Department of Justice employee who threw a sandwich at a government officer during the administration's law enforcement presence in Washington DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal setback of the federal involvement.
• Certain Democratic lawmakers saw Tuesday’s big electoral wins as evidence they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from conservative lawmakers before approving the termination of the lengthiest federal closure in history.
• Democrats praised Nancy Pelosi as a “bold, groundbreaking” member of the US House of Representatives, an “legend” and the “greatest speaker in American history”, subsequent to her statement that following two decades in Congress she intends to step down.
• The conservative leader, the leader of the political research group behind Project 2025, issued an apology for endorsing the host's interview with Hitler supporter Nick Fuentes, but is declining demands to step down.