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With the record-breaking federal government standoff nears day 38, US flight paths will become a little less busy. The same cannot be said for US airports.

Safety Measures Enacted

The federal aviation regulatory body stated flights are being reduced to uphold air traffic control security during the federal government funding lapse, currently the lengthiest in history and with no apparent progress of a resolution between Republicans and liberal officials to end the federal budget standoff.

Flight oversight bodies identified “congested corridors” where the FAA says air traffic requires reduction by 4% by 6am ET on Friday, a move that would force airlines to scrub numerous flights and cause a chain reaction of scheduling problems and delays at major US air terminals.

Official Statement

Trump’s transportation chief, Sean Duffy, wrote on online platforms Thursday that the decision was “not about politics” but rather “concerned with reviewing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as flight directors continue working without pay”.

“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the preventive measures we are taking,” the official stated.

Airline Cutbacks

Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights might be called off. The flight decreases may constitute up to 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, per an estimate by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Affected Airports

The involved terminals covering numerous states include the most trafficked across the US – including Georgia's capital, Charlotte, Colorado's hub, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Los Angeles, Florida hotspot and Bay Area airport. Among key urban centers – like NYC, Houston and Chicago – various airports will be affected.

All three airports operating in the DC metro – Washington Dulles international, Baltimore/Washington international and Ronald Reagan Washington national – will be impacted, likely creating delays and cancellations for elected representatives as well as additional passengers.

Other Developments

• This is the compilation of American air terminals cutting flights on Friday due to federal government shutdown.
• An ex-DOJ worker who threw a sandwich at a federal officer during the administration's law enforcement increase in Washington DC was found not guilty of assault by a DC jury on Thursday representing a recent legal rebuke of the federal intervention.
• Some Democratic legislators saw Tuesday’s major voting successes as indication they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans before consenting to conclude the record-breaking budget standoff in history.
• Liberal lawmakers commended Nancy Pelosi as a “heroic, trailblazing” member of the US House of Representatives, an “icon” and the “finest presiding officer in American history”, following her statement that following two decades in Congress she plans to retire.
• The thinktank head, the leader of the right-leaning policy organization behind the conservative initiative, has apologized for supporting the host's interview with Hitler admirer Nick Fuentes, but is resisting calls to resign.