U.S. to cut 10% of flights at 40 airports due to shutdown

AWANI

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will order a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports starting Friday unless a deal is reached to end the federal government shutdown.

Transcript

00:00The Trump administration will order a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports starting Friday,

00:06unless a deal is reached to end the federal government shutdown.

00:10The move aims to ease pressure on air traffic controllers

00:13as the shutdown enters its 36th day, the longest ever in the U.S. history.

00:20U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stressed that air travel remains safe,

00:25saying the cancellations are necessary to maintain safety and efficiency.

00:29Meanwhile, Federal Aviation Administration Chief Brian Bedford warned that

00:33if the shutdown drags on, further restrictions may be necessary.

00:37About 1.4 million federal employees, including air traffic controllers and park wardens,

00:43are either working without pay or on forced leave.

00:46The prolonged shutdown has worsened with staff shortages,

00:49flight delays and long security lines at airports nationwide.

00:53The list of affected airports, all high-traffic hubs, will be released later on Thursday,

00:58with cancellations expected to hit 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily.

01:03The closure, which began on October 1, after a federal budget deadlock in Congress,

01:08has already shuttered many government services

01:10and led to the furlough of about 750,000 federal employees.

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