The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 of the nation’s “high-volume” markets starting Friday morning.
The move is a direct response to staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, who are working unpaid during the ongoing government shutdown, leading some to call out of work and causing delays across the country.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is prioritizing safety and would not wait for a major incident to occur. “The shutdown is causing staffing pressures, and we can’t ignore it,” Bedford said.
To safely implement the reduction, Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are scheduled to meet with airline leaders later Wednesday to coordinate plans.
The reduction aims to maintain safety standards while the agency confronts the operational strain caused by the lapse in government funding.
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