The Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday that the government shutdown was resulting in a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the United States. 

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy made this revelation at a press conference announcing the cuts, as previously reported by the Washington Examiner. It was a precautionary measure to avoid any disasters or emergencies, given the effect the shutdown has had on air traffic controllers. Duffy explained that reducing the number of flights was necessary to “reduce the risk profile in the national airspace.”