The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revealed plans to reduce the number of flights at key airports nationwide, responding to the ongoing impact of what’s being referred to as the Schumer Shutdown, which has now stretched into its 36th day.
On Wednesday, the FAA announced that starting Friday morning, they will cut air traffic by 10% across 40 high-demand markets. This move aims to ensure safety and alleviate the burden on Air Traffic Controllers, who have been working without pay due to the government shutdown, leading to significant staffing challenges.
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MORE: Duffy Issues a Stark Warning: Air Travel Could Descend Into ‘Chaos’ If Political Games Continue
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated, “If the pressures persist even after implementing these steps, we will consider further actions.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared similar concerns, indicating that they had no alternative but to scale back flights to preempt potential disasters.
MORE: Duffy Drops Bombshell Warning: Air Travel Will Soon Collapse Into ‘Chaos’ If Dems Keep Playing Politics
The list of impacted airports is expected to be released Thursday.
“If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy echoed the sentiment, and said they had no choice but to reduce flights before they are forced to react to a disaster.
My number one priority is the safety of the American people. https://t.co/lOi3Q2rpZ7
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 5, 2025
“Our sole role is to make sure we keep this airspace as safe as possible,” Duffy said. “When they fly they are going to make it to their destination safely, because we’ve done our work.”
There may be flight delays or cancellations. Our top priority is that when Americans fly, they will make it to their destination safely because @USDOT and the @FAANews have done their work. pic.twitter.com/1uDsFr5HDL
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 5, 2025
“We are doing our work,” he added. “And this is what we feel like we have to do to make sure we maintain that safety profile.”
SEE: Flightmare: As Long TSA Lines and Flight Delays Pile Up, White House Says, ‘Thank a Democrat’
ALSO: Update: Bomb on Board? Flights Resume at Reagan National After Shutdown Due to ‘Security Threat’
Duffy has been sounding the alarm for a few weeks now, as the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, resulting in ATCs working but not getting paid since October 1.
As my RedState colleague Sister Toldjah reported, the Transportation Secretary warned on Tuesday that a reduction in flights and more was coming amid the seemingly never-ending shutdown.
Toldjah wrote about Duffy’s comments:
DUFFY: The controllers got 80 or 90 percent of one payment. They missed the second paycheck. On Thursday, they get an email pay stub that will show what they’re next payment will be. So, this Thursday, they’ll get an email that shows that their pay stub is a big, fat zero.
Many of the [air traffic] controllers said, “A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody, but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks.”
So, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays.
You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.
Will the Democrats now end the shutdown after their election victories on Tuesday? Honestly, there’s no guarantee. RedState will keep readers updated on the situation.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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