As Tuesday dawns, travelers nationwide will experience a 6 percent cut in flight operations, as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This decision is being implemented even as signs suggest a potential resolution to the ongoing government shutdown.

Last Friday, the FAA announced an initial 4 percent reduction in flight capacity at 40 major airports characterized by heavy traffic. The agency plans to escalate these reductions, reaching 6 percent by Tuesday morning, and further increasing to 8 percent and 10 percent on Thursday and Friday mornings, respectively.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford addressed the public in a press conference last Thursday, explaining that the reductions are a response to significant shortages in air traffic controllers. He emphasized that these measures are intended to assure travelers of the safety in American airspace.

The ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in history, has left air traffic controllers without paychecks for a second time, leading to widespread absenteeism and subsequent disruptions in flight schedules across the nation.

The impact of these measures has been substantial. According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service, the weekend saw over 4,500 flights canceled within, into, or out of the United States following the initial 4 percent capacity cut. As of Monday, more than 2,300 flights have already faced cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday that if the government shutdown continues, air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” before Thanksgiving. Duffy also said that “15 to 20” controllers are retiring per day during the shutdown, a significant increase from the roughly four controllers that were retiring daily before the funding lapse. 

The Senate passed a measure to reopen the government on Monday, after eight Senate Democratic Conference members joined 52 Republicans to advance the proposal Sunday. The measure, if it passes the Senate and the House, will then head to President Trump’s desk. 

The president, in a Monday post on his Truth Social platform, said controllers who do not return to work immediately will be “docked,” and floated $10,000 bonuses for those who worked during the shutdown.