Airlines work to limit impact as FAA cuts air traffic by 10% across 40 markets amid shutdown

Airlines said Wednesday they’re working to limit disruptions for travelers after federal officials announced new restrictions on air travel tied to the ongoing government shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety amid the shutdown and ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages.

A source told FOX Business the reductions will start at 4% on Friday and gradually ramp up to 10% next week, where they’ll stay "until the FAA feels comfortable with safety levels." 

The move could eliminate thousands of flights each day for as long as the shutdown continues.

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"I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began more than a month ago, with many logging six-day weeks and mandatory overtime. Some have begun calling out due to financial strain, leading to flight delays at major airports.

Bedford said he and Duffy acted now to prevent the situation from worsening.

"We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said. "The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures."

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United, Southwest and American Airlines each said they’ll work to reduce the impact on passengers as schedules are trimmed.

In a letter to employees, United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline will focus cuts on regional routes and non-hub flights and offer refunds to customers who choose not to travel during this period — even if their flight isn’t canceled.

"United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA," Kirby said. "That’s important to maintain the integrity of our network, give impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trip, and sustain our crew pairing systems."

American said it expects "the vast majority of customers’ travel will proceed as planned," and that it will proactively notify affected passengers as schedules change.

"As always, we encourage everyone to check their flight status," the airline said.