By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday was working to hammer out details of an unprecedented plan to cut 10% of flights at 40 high-traffic U.S. airports to address safety concerns regarding air traffic controllers amid a record-setting federal government shutdown.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told CEOs of major airlines late Wednesday the cuts would begin with 4% on Friday before rising to 10% next week.

The plan will exempt international flights and the cuts will apply to flights between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The FAA is also imposing drastic restrictions on space launches and general aviation.

Airlines were left scrambling to make significant reductions in flights in just 36 hours, and passengers flooded airline customer service hotli

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