UPDATE: 40 major US airports to cut flights by 10%, including Daniel K. Inouye International in Honolulu

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced earlier this week that 40 of the nation’s largest major airports — also noted to be some of the most highly trafficked in the United States — will take the extraordinary move to cut flights by 10%, beginning Friday because of the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Airport is on the list. And Hawai‘i Tourism Authority expects there will be impacts on travelers.

“In this interconnected world of air travel, a change in Boston could very well change an itinerary in Honolulu,” Hawai‘i Tourism Authority stated in an announcement Thursday morning about the then possible flight cuts. “So, we encourage everyone traveling to or from the [United States] to stay connected and prepared.”

The impacts were already becoming apparent by Thursday afternoon.

A Hawaiian Airlines spokesman told KHON2 News in Honolulu that it will cancel 4 neighbor island routes as of Friday this week because of the announced cuts.

Those cuts include two round-trip flights between Honolulu and Maui and another two from Honolulu and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Kona on the Big Island.

Travelers on the canceled flights will be notified about their cancellation and provided with accommodations for another flight or full refund, Hawaiian Airlines told the O‘ahu news outlet.

Neighbor island service otherwise will largely continue unaffected, with 20 other daily round trips from Honolulu to Maui and 15 other daily round trips to Kona.

Flights to Kauaʻi and Hilo also will continue as scheduled.

The airline’s routes to and from the continent and international destinations are not affected by the cancellations.

Air traffic controllers have worked unpaid for the past 37 days since the Oct. 1 beginning of the federal government’s shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

That has left many major air hubs short-staffed and facing significant fatigue and morale issues. Associated Press says most employees are working 6 days a week, putting in mandatory overtime.

Cutting the number of flights coming in and out of those 40 major airports is part of new Federal Aviation Administration steps now rolled out by President Donald Trump’s Administration as a way to maintain air safety as the stalemate and closure in Washington continue.

Associated Press reports as many as a total of 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats could be affected by the flight reductions, citing an estimate from aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The reduction in flights stems from a surge in callouts among the nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers, employed by the Federal Aviation Administration who have worked without pay for nearly 40 days because of the federal government shutdown.

A social media post earlier this week on the X page of the aviation administration said air traffic controllers ensure the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system.

“The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays,” says the Federal Aviation Administration’s post.

To help ease some of the likely anxiety travelers are feeling with the new reductions in place and the shutdown continuing — with no apparent end in sight — Hawai‘i Tourism Authority provided some GUIDANCE FOR HOW TO BE PREPARED FOR POTENTIAL DISRUPTIONS at the airport when you travel:

• MAKE SURE YOUR AIRLINE HAS YOUR CORRECT CONTACT INFO, especially if you did not book your flight directly with the airline. Log in to the airline’s website or app to verify it has the best phone number to reach you. For example, it’s usually better to provide your mobile number instead of a landline when traveling.

• CHECK YOUR FLIGHT STATUS before going to the airport. Even if your destination airport is not on the list of affected airports, your flight could still be delayed.

• LEAVE EARLY FOR THE AIRPORT. Whether you are flying internationally, domestically or interisland, leave additional time for delays.

• If your flight is delayed or canceled, check with your hotel or accommodations about an extension or revised check out time before departing for the airport.

Visitors already in Hawaiʻi and those planning to visit the islands can find the latest updates at the Go Hawaiʻi website.

News reporters Tiffany DeMasters and Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.