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The Federal Aviation Administration has said it will be reducing air traffic by 10 percent across 40 airports beginning Friday amid the ongoing government shutdown. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that the action would be taken to at “high-volume” airports in order to maintain safety. Duffy said the agency was confronting staffing shortages caused by air traffic controllers, who are working unpaid, with some calling out of work during the shutdown, resulting in delays across the country. “We do not want to see disruptions at the FAA or here at DOT. We don't want that, but our number one priority is to make sure when you travel you travel safely,” he told reporters. “I anticipate there will be additional disruptions, there will be frustration. We are working with the airlines, they're going to work with passengers, but in the end our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible.” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is not going to wait for a problem to act, saying the shutdown is causing staffing pressures and “we can’t ignore it.” Bedford added that the measures would stretch beyond commercial airspace and include “restrictions on space launches” as well as restrictions on visual flight rules “in certain markets.” More follows ...
