The effects of the ongoing government shutdown hit a breaking point Friday as more than 1,200 flights were canceled and nearly 16,000 delayed across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began implementing a phased reduction in air travel, citing severe staff shortages and mounting safety risks.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced earlier this week that flight volume would be reduced by up to 10 percent at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, with the goal of minimizing risk in a system stretched beyond capacity. The reductions began Friday at 4 percent and will scale up to 10 percent by November 14, affecting operations from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time at airports in major cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking to Breitbart News, described the situation as unsustainable. “We’re trying to help the American people,” he said, noting that his department is working overtime to keep the system functioning. But he placed blame squarely on Democrats, who refuse to reopen the government. “Open the damn government,” Duffy said bluntly.
The FAA’s official order warned that fatigue, understaffing, and growing delays were threatening the agency’s ability to maintain safe operations. With air traffic controllers working without pay for over a month, many are calling out sick, seeking second jobs, or leaving the workforce entirely.
The situation has become so dire that a senior Democratic aide was quoted by Senate Republicans as saying the government wouldn’t reopen “short of planes falling out of the sky,” a remark that drew sharp criticism from conservatives.
The shutdown’s impact on aviation underscores the broader national consequences of political gridlock—placing the safety and travel plans of millions of Americans in jeopardy.
