US to cut airline traffic by 10% due to shutdown, Trump transport chief says

Sean Duffy says cuts at 40 locations to reduce stress on air traffic controllers will start Friday if solution not found

The transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, and the FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, said on Wednesday the federal government would be reducing airline traffic by 10% at 40 high volume markets" beginning on Friday if the government shutdown does not end by then.

The announcement did not specify which 40 airports would see the reduction and said that a complete list would be announced on Thursday with cuts likely at the nation's 30 busiest airports, including those serving New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas. The reduction will affect cargo, private and passenger traffic.