The cut will take effect at 6 a.m. on Friday, American East Coast time, which is lunchtime Swedish time.
Among the affected airports are La Guardia, Kennedy and Newark in the New York area as well as international airports in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Orlando, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco, among others.
The decision to reduce air traffic in "high-volume markets" has been made by the FAA. Initially, there will be a reduction of 4 percent. The proportion will be increased gradually and reach 10 percent next Friday - if Democrats and Republicans in Congress have not agreed on a budget before then.
“Safe to fly”
Several hundred flights over the next few days have already been canceled. Delays are expected and rental car bookings are skyrocketing, US media reports.
Transport Minister Sean Duffy says air traffic is safe, despite the serious situation.
"It is safe to fly today and it will continue to be safe next week because of the preventive measures we are taking," he said in a statement .
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, is the longest in U.S. history. It has led to program cancellations, federal operations being disrupted, and layoffs. Those affected include air traffic controllers and some security personnel who, unlike other federal employees, are required to go to work without pay because their work is considered essential.
Taking on extra work
Many of the US's 13,000 or so air traffic controllers are therefore forced to take on extra jobs to pay the bills. More than a month into the shutdown, they are starting to resign or call in sick.
Air traffic controllers are resigning every day now due to the prolonged shutdown, Nick Daniels, chairman of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN.
More than 450 cases of air traffic controller shortages have been reported since the lockdown began.
In parallel, the White House has signaled that it is unclear whether federal employees will be paid retroactively after the shutdown.
