The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered traffic to be reduced at 40 major airports to help keep skies safe as the government shutdown drags on. The cutbacks come ahead of a popular holiday-travel weekend for those who get Veterans Day off.

The Federal Aviation Administration is cutting flights at 40 U.S. airports beginning Friday, Nov. 7, as air traffic controllers and TSA agents continue to go unpaid during the government shutdown.

“Even if the government reopens quickly, the impacts of the shutdown are still likely to be felt for days and weeks to come as airlines and airports get back to business, so don’t expect air travel to revert to normal anytime soon,” he noted.

The cuts will increase gradually over the next week, as air traffic controllers go without pay during the ongoing government shutdown.

Flight operations at O’Hare International Airport appeared smooth Friday morning, hours into the the Federal Aviation Administration’s unprecedented flight cuts amid a prolonged government shutdown and shortage of air traffic controllers.

Oakland International Airport, the other Bay Area airport affected by FAA flight reductions, had at least 12 cancellations on Friday morning, and 15 delays so far.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A handful of flight cancellations hit Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Friday, as airlines began complying with a federal mandate to reduce domestic flying amid mounting concerns about staffing shortages and air traffic controller fatigue.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, joins Morning Joe as hundreds of flights are canceled amid the ongoing government shutdown, warning the system is “unsustainable” and that people “will break” if air traffic workers remain unpaid.