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NEW YORK (Gray Media) - The Department of Transportation officially announced reductions in services at 40 major airports around the U.S., sparking mass cancellations Friday. LaGuardia Airport in New York is one of the high-volume airports facing flight reductions with the Department of Transportation taking the safety precaution as the government shutdown impacts staffing levels. As of midday Friday, more than 800 flights had been cancelled in the U.S., 20 of those at LaGuardia according to the flight tracking service Flight Aware. The announcement from DOT said initially there will be a four percent reduction in service at these airports, moving up incrementally over the next week, eventually reaching a 10 percent reduction if the shutdown continues. Thousands of flights are expected to be impacted as the U.S. heads into the busiest travel season of the year. Air traffic control unions, airlines, others in the industry are pleading with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to come to an agreement on government funding to put an end to the disruption. The next increase in reductions is set to take place November 11, moving to six percent cuts in operations. November 13 reductions increase to eight percent, then 10 percent on November 14.
