Airlines Scale Back Schedules, Offer Refunds After FAA Cuts Flights by 10%

Airlines across the U.S. are in the process of trimming schedules as the Federal Aviation Administration intends to reduce air traffic at the 40 busiest airports by 10% starting Friday.

The reductions are a response to the government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history. Air traffic controllers missed their first paychecks on October 28 and are on track to miss their second paycheck next week.

On Friday, airports are expected to see a 4% reduction in air traffic and those cuts eventually increase to 10%, according to CBS.“I'm not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we've had a situation where we're taking these kinds of measures, and again, we're in a new territory in terms of government shutdowns,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

How the Cuts Impact Airlines

Airlines have so far said they expect a m