The ongoing federal government shutdown, now in its 36th day, has resulted in the US announcing significant cuts to flights across 40 major airports, starting this Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited mounting pressure on air traffic control systems as the reason for this move. With a shortfall of 3,500 air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing concerns about performance and safety, with many remaining staff working overtime without pay.

Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are working without pay, as reported by Reuters. In light of safety concerns, Duffy stated that the decision to cut flights was necessary to ensure the safety of the airspace. Bryan Bedford, the FAA Administrator, further emphasized that the agency cannot ignore the pressures building in the 40 affected markets and must take action to prevent any potential deterioration in the safety of air travel.

While the FAA has not specified the affected airports by name, Reuters reported that the cuts are expected to impact the 30 busiest airports in the US. These include airports serving major cities such as New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington DC. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, the cuts are estimated to result in a reduction of 1,800 flights and 268,000 flight seats.

The FAA categorizes the ‘busiest’ airports in the US based on the number of annual enplanements. With the cuts likely to affect some of the busiest airports, the full list of air transport hubs includes Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, Newark, Houston, Boston, Minneapolis, Fort Lauderdale, New York LaGuardia, Detroit, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, San Diego, Tampa, Washington DC, Chicago Midway, Portland, Austin, Dallas Love Field, Nashville, Honolulu, St. Louis, Kansas City, Raleigh, San Jose, Oakland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Sacramento.

While most airlines have yet to comment on the situation, American Airlines has assured that the majority of its customers are unlikely to be affected. Southwest Airlines, on the other hand, is evaluating the impact of the cuts on its flight schedule. Other major carriers, such as Delta and United Airlines, have not yet commented on the situation.