Traveling soon? What the FAA's flight reductions could mean for you
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The Trump administration is reducing air traffic at 40 of the nation's busiest airports, starting Friday and ramping up over the next week.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the move aims to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers. As federal employees, they have been working without pay for over a month due to the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history with no end in sight.
Delays and disruptions have already hit airports across the country as a result of escalating staffing shortages. The new flight restrictions add another layer of uncertainty and stress for travelers.
"It does have the potential to be quite disruptive, even though the vast majority of flights are still going to operate as scheduled," says Nick Ewen, senior editorial director of The Points Guy travel website.
The cancellations on Friday represent about a 4% reduction in flights. That number is expected to ramp up to the FAA-required 10% — or some 4,400 fights daily — by next Friday if the shutdown conti
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