As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters its 43rd day, its impact on domestic air travel continues to intensify, causing significant disruptions for passengers nationwide ahead of the Thanksgiving holidays. In response to a shortage of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that airlines reduce flights. The order, initially affecting 40 major U.S. airports starting Nov 7, escalated to a 6-percent reduction on Tuesday. Major airports including those in Chicago, New York, Washington, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth have been impacted. On Wednesday, 890 flights had been canceled and 750 more were delayed. Several airlines have begun proactively canceling flights and offering refunds to affected passengers. The FAA has announced plans to increase these cuts to 8 percent on Thursday and 10 percent on Friday to mitigate the staffing crisis. On Tuesday alone, over 1,200 flights across the United States were canceled, with more than 1,650 domestic and international flights experiencing delays. More air traffic controllers have been showing up for work in recent days despite going unpaid. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that the air traffic control workforce has been working without pay for 42 days due to the shutdown, warning that it could take several days for the aviation system to return to normal operations. A potential resolution to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history emerged when the Senate passed a temporary spending package on Monday evening. The package was subsequently sent to the House of Representatives, whose members reconvened on Tuesday after a 53-day recess to vote on the legislation. The travel chaos directly affected lawmakers returning to Washington. With widespread flight cancellations, several House members were forced to seek alternative transportation. Reports indicate that Republican representatives from states like Arkansas and Mississippi carpooled, while some representatives from Wisconsin undertook a 16-hour motorcycle journey to reach Washington. Shotlist: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - Nov 9, 2025: FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 1. Various of White House; 2. Various of Capitol building, U.S. national flag; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - Nov 9, 2025 3. Screen showing flight information; Denver, Colorado, USA - Nov 9, 2025 4. Various of screen showing flight information including delayed flights; 5. Various of travelers gathering, queuing at airport; New Jersey, USA - Nov 7, 2025 6. Various of travelers with luggage walking, waiting at Newark Liberty International Airport; 7. Various of planes at airport. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]