A plane sits at O'Hare International Airport as the US government shutdown continues, in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
U S Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that he would order a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 major US airports, citing air traffic control safety concerns as a government shutdown hit a record 36th day.
The drastic plan sent airlines scrambling to make significant reductions in flights in just 36 hours and passengers flooded airline customer service hotlines with concerns about air travel in the coming days.
Duffy said the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agreed to reopen the government.
The shutdown, the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.
The Trump administration has sought to ramp
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