Hundreds of flights were cancelled across the US on Friday after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease strain on air traffic controllers working without pay amid congressional paralysis over the federal budget.

Major hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles were among the 40 airports slated for the slowdown.

With Republicans and Democrats in a bitter standoff over spending priorities , including healthcare, Congress has ground to a standstill, leaving the entire federal funding spigot closed.

Vast numbers of government employees, including vital airport staff, are either working without pay or furloughed at home, waiting for the nearly six-week crisis to end.

The flight reductions were to take effect gradually over the coming days , starting a

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