The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will implement a 10% reduction in air traffic across 40 major markets starting Friday. This decision comes as the agency faces staffing shortages due to the ongoing government shutdown, which has now reached its 36th day, marking the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the agency must act proactively to address staffing pressures. "We can’t ignore it," he said, emphasizing the need for immediate action to ensure safety. The FAA plans to meet with airline leaders to discuss the safe implementation of these reductions.

The shutdown has already caused significant disruptions in air travel, with over 1,000 flight delays reported within, into, or out of the U.S. on Wednesday alone. Additionally, 90 flights were canceled. Normally, airlines aim for at least 80% of their flights to depart and arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. However, recent data shows that only about 56% of departures from Newark were on time, while Orlando reported a 70% on-time rate.

As of Tuesday, there were 1,932 flight delays across the country, which is lower than typical figures. However, the FAA noted that staffing shortages were causing delays in Phoenix, and strong winds were affecting operations at Newark and LaGuardia airports.

Major airlines, aviation unions, and the travel industry are urging Congress to resolve the shutdown quickly. The U.S. Travel Association reported that the economy has already lost more than $4 billion due to the shutdown. Industry leaders are concerned that the situation could worsen significantly if the shutdown extends into the holiday travel season.

The government shutdown began on October 1, following a failure to reach an agreement on funding. Republicans proposed a short-term funding measure through November 21, but Democrats insisted on addressing health care concerns, including reversing Medicaid cuts and extending tax credits for health insurance premiums. Republicans have rejected these demands, leading to the current impasse.

The FAA has not yet released the specific markets that will be affected by the air traffic reduction, but Bedford indicated that this information would be shared after discussions with airline leaders on Thursday morning. This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.