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Amid the historic federal government closure approaches day 38, US skies is about to get a little less busy. This doesn't apply for US terminals.

Precautionary Steps Put in Place

Donald Trump’s aviation regulatory body stated flight numbers are being lowered to uphold air traffic control security during the federal government closure, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a solution between Republicans and liberal officials to end the federal budget deadlock.

Aviation authorities pinpointed “busiest routes” where the FAA says air traffic needs cutting by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, a step requiring airlines to scrub numerous flights and cause a cascade of scheduling complications and delays at major US air terminals.

Administration Remarks

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, wrote on X Thursday that the move was “not politically driven” but rather “about assessing the data and alleviating building risk 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.

Airline Cutbacks

Analysts forecast hundreds if not thousands of flights may be scrapped. The cuts may constitute as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats combined, according to an calculation by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The targeted air hubs spanning numerous states include the most trafficked across the US – featuring ATL, Charlotte, Denver, DFW, Orlando, LAX, Florida hotspot and San Francisco. Within major metropolitan areas – including New York, Texas city and Illinois hub – various airports will be affected.

Each of the three air terminals operating in the Washington DC area – Dulles Airport, BWI and Reagan National – will be affected, inevitably causing flight disruptions for government officials as well as the flying public.

Additional Developments

• This is the roster of domestic airports cutting flights on Friday as a result of federal government closure.
• A previous justice department staffer who threw a sandwich at a government officer during Donald Trump’s law enforcement presence in the capital received a not guilty verdict of assault by a DC jury on Thursday in the latest legal rejection of the federal intervention.
• Several liberal representatives saw Tuesday’s significant election victories as indication they should maintain their position and gain maximum concessions from GOP members 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 “icon” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, subsequent to her statement that after 20 terms in Congress she plans to retire.
• Kevin Roberts, the chief of the political research group behind the policy blueprint, issued an apology for supporting the commentator's interview with Hitler fan Nick Fuentes, but is rejecting appeals to step down.