Federally mandated air traffic reductions of as much as 10% are set to take place Friday, affecting San Diego and dozens of other major airports across the country, as part of an effort to ensure travel safety during the government shutdown.

Airlines are trying to manage expectations of their customers, with some announcing refund and change policies online. But the reality is that cancellations will occur as carriers work to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration cuts, which affect what are described as 40 “high-volume” airports.

Across the country, the cuts could affects as many as 1,800 flights and up to 268,000 seats, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium. At San Diego International Airport, where there are 600 arriving and departing flights daily, a 10%

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