The Trump administration announced sweeping air traffic reductions as the government shutdown continues to strain federal workers and critical infrastructure.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that starting Friday, the Department of Transportation will temporarily cut air traffic by 10 percent at forty major airports nationwide.

“This is not based on what airline travels has more flights out of what location,” Duffy said. “This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure?”

The move comes as thousands of air traffic controllers — working without pay for more than a month — begin missing shifts or taking second jobs to stay afloat.

“And what we’re finding is that our air traffic controllers, because of the financial pressures at home, are taking side jobs — they need to put food on the table, gas in the car, pay their bills,” Duffy said during a press conference.

He acknowledged that while the administration is asking controllers to keep reporting for duty, many are struggling to stay focused under growing financial stress.

“We have asked them to show up for work, but I’m not naive to understand that they’re trying to figure out how they meet their daily obligations,” Duffy added.

The shutdown, now in its 36th day, is officially the longest in U.S. history. Congress remains deadlocked, with Democrats refusing to compromise over spending disputes tied to healthcare subsidies and benefits for illegal immigrants.

In the meantime, pressure on federal employees and key agencies has reached crisis levels.

Federal Aviation Administration chief Bryan Bedford joined Duffy to announce the decision, saying the cuts were designed to relieve overwhelmed controllers before the situation becomes dangerous.

“We have decided that a 10% reduction in schedule capacity would be appropriate to again, continue to take the pressure off of our controllers, and as we continue to see staffing triggers, there will be additional measures that will be taken in those specific markets,” Bedford said.

Neither Duffy nor Bedford specified which airports would be affected, but the reductions are expected to hit the nation’s busiest hubs — including those in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

Duffy warned earlier in the week that the system was approaching “mass chaos” as exhausted controllers and flight crews faced mounting workloads with no end to the shutdown in sight.

Despite the disruptions, both Duffy and Bedford assured the public that safety remains the top priority.

“I want to reassure the American travelers that it is absolutely safe to fly in the American skies,” Bedford said. “But I also want to recognize the fact that the data is telling us we need to do more, and we are going to do more.”

Officials said the new plan would go into effect at the end of the week, cutting daily flight schedules and limiting airport operations until federal paychecks resume.

The shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid, forcing many to borrow money to pay rent or rely on food banks to feed their families. Across the country, air traffic employees have reported long hours, reduced staffing, and severe fatigue — raising fears of mistakes or delays in the skies.

For now, the Department of Transportation is scrambling to prevent what some insiders warn could become a nationwide aviation crisis.

But as negotiations in Washington remain frozen, travelers and federal workers alike are facing growing uncertainty — and an increasingly grounded America.