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Nationwide — The Trump administration announced that it will mandate a 10% reduction in air traffic at 40 major U.S. airports beginning tomorrow if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement to end the government shutdown. The move, intended to relieve pressure on the nation’s strained air traffic control system, could affect thousands of travelers across the country. An airline official added that the administration is also considering an incremental plan that would cut flights by 4% tomorrow and increase those reductions by 1% each day the shutdown continues.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the cuts are necessary to maintain safety as the shutdown places mounting stress on air traffic controllers and operational staff. The FAA says reducing flight volume at the nation’s busiest hubs is the only way to prevent widespread disruptions and ensure essential personnel are not overwhelmed. The agency urged passengers to check directly with their airlines for updates, as many schedules are expected to be modified immediately.
Accordign to CNN, the reductions will begin taking effect on Friday, with 40 airports nationwide ordered to scale back operations. These include some of the United States’ largest and most vital transportation hubs. Among them are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois, Los Angeles International Airport in California, and New York’s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
Other impacted airports include Anchorage International in Alaska; Boston Logan in Massachusetts; Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland; Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky in Ohio; Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth in Texas; Denver International in Colorado; Detroit Metropolitan in Michigan; Newark Liberty and Teterboro in New Jersey; Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa in Florida; and Honolulu International in Hawaii.
Additional airports facing mandatory cuts are Houston Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental in Texas; Washington Dulles and Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia; Indianapolis International in Indiana; Harry Reid International in Las Vegas; Phoenix Sky Harbor in Arizona; Portland International in Oregon; Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania; Minneapolis–St. Paul in Minnesota; San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland, and Ontario airports in California; Salt Lake City International in Utah; Louisville International in Kentucky; Memphis International in Tennessee; and Seattle–Tacoma International in Washington.
The FAA warned that the staffing shortage caused by the prolonged shutdown is already contributing to longer delays at key airports, and further reductions may become unavoidable if the standoff continues. Travelers are advised to stay updated on developing changes, as officials say the impact on national flight operations could escalate rapidly in the coming days.