10% reduction in flights announced in America, decision to be implemented from Friday
RNE Network.
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it will reduce flight capacity by 10% starting Friday morning as the government continues to grapple with an ongoing shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he plans to cut 10% of flights at 40 major airports across the United States beginning Friday, unless Congress reaches a deal to end the federal government shutdown. Duffy cautioned that if the shutdown persists for another week, it could result in “mass chaos” and potentially force the closure of parts of the national airspace.
The shutdown, now in its 36th day and the longest in U.S. history, has left 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents working without pay. This has intensified staffing shortages, caused widespread flight delays, and created longer lines at airport security checkpoints.
The flight reductions are expected to impact the 30 busiest U.S. airports, including those serving New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Most federal operations have largely shut down as Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked in Congress over a funding bill. Democrats have refused to approve any plan that does not extend health insurance subsidies, while Republicans have rejected this demand.
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have sought to increase pressure on Democrats by amplifying the impact of the shutdown on ordinary Americans.
