British News Agency

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cancellations are an attempt to “ease pressure” on air traffic controllers who haven’t been paid since mid-October. Duffy added that the administration will announce the affected markets on Thursday as the busiest travel season of the year approaches.

The cuts will take effect Friday and could potentially force hundreds of thousands of passengers to suddenly change their plans while airlines reduce capacity across all routes.

Mike Arnot, a spokesperson for aviation data firm Cirium, estimated that the cuts could lead to the cancellation of up to 1,800 flights on Friday alone.

Duffy warned about the strain on certified air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration, noting that many were already working overtime to fill about 3,000 of 14,000 positions before the shutdown. During the closure, the unpaid controllers will miss their second paycheck on Tuesday.

These restrictions will not only affect commercial travel. Officials said certain markets will also face limits on space launches and visual flight operations, making the controllers’ already difficult job even harder.