BREAKING: Thousands of flight cancellations to begin Friday if shutdown continues

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Editor's Note

This story has been updated with new information.

The government shutdown is about to affect air travel in a big way.

Starting Friday, airlines will have to cancel thousands of flights per day if Congress can't reach an agreement to reopen the federal government, the Trump administration announced.

Speaking Wednesday afternoon, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration will reduce roughly 10% of all air traffic in 40 of the country's biggest cities.

The cuts would likely affect passengers across nearly the entire country, and represent the biggest impact to air travel yet from the shutdown — which as of Wednesday was the longest in U.S. history.

The FAA called the measure "proactive" and safety-driven, citing increased strain on air traffic controllers.

Critical aviation sector employees have now gone more than a month without a full paycheck during what is now the longest government shutdown in history. Call-outs among air traffic controllers began to surge last week, the FAA said.

"We are starting to see some evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to work towards relieving some of that pressure," Duffy said at a news conference.

It was not yet clear which airports, routes or flights would be most affected — the FAA planned to meet with airlines late Wednesday to discuss the restrictions.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said the FAA would offer more specifics about the flight cuts on Thursday, but said he hoped to make them "proportional" across the major U.S. carriers.

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"There will be no perfect solution," Bedford warned.

Passengers with flights planned for the coming days should keep a close eye for any email or mobile app notification from their airline.

It's possible carriers could issue waivers allowing passengers to proactively make itinerary changes, or otherwise postpone their trip.

Under DOT policy, passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed are due a refund, regardless of the reason for the disruption.

"We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers," Airlines for America, a trade group for the largest U.S. airlines, said in a statement to TPG late Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, some 3.4 million travelers had seen their flight canceled or delayed as a result of shutdown-induced staffing challenges at the FAA, airlines said Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for additional updates.

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