At a press conference on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced new airspace restrictions because of the ongoing Schumer shutdown to help “reduce risks in national airspace.”
Reuters reports that the shutdown” has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay and snarled tens of thousands of flights.”
Duffy shared some of the restrictions that will go into effect.
Duffy told reporters, “Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible. The administrator is going to talk about all of the tools we’re going to deploy.”
“One of them, though, is going to be that there is going to be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations. The administrator is going to tell you that this is data-based. This is not based on what airline travels… has more flights out of what location.”
“This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure.”
Watch:
@USDOT is initiating a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 major airports.
This data-based decision is designed to alleviate pressure on our air traffic controllers required to keep the skies safe. pic.twitter.com/9J9fCw84MA
— USDOT Rapid Response (@USDOTRapid) November 5, 2025
According to Duffy, the restrictions will go into effect on Friday and will impact roughly 4,000 flights nationwide. A list of affected airports will be released on Thursday.
“I hope that Democrats come to their senses and end this shutdown,” Duffy told reporters.”I don’t even know what they’re asking for. I have no idea.
“What is the shutdown over? I don’t know. Do they want to negotiate? They want to… I don’t know what they want. They say they have leverage by the shutdown, but they’re getting leverage by way of hurting the American people.
“I’m frustrated by it because, again, I look across our system. I have worked really hard to make safer. I’ve worked really hard to bring air traffic controllers…. more into our academy…more into our training system in our towers and centers.”
“This does not help us resolve that problem. This makes this problem only worse.”
Watch:
I don’t even know what the Democrats want to end the Schumer-Jeffries shutdown!⁰⁰A system that I have worked really hard to make safer is now in jeopardy because Democrats are holding the American people hostage.⁰⁰End the shutdown NOW! pic.twitter.com/yQNwU0joo5
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 4, 2025
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