India, Nov. 6 -- Hit by government shutdown, the US is ordering a 10 per cent cut in flights at 40 major US airports, transportation secretary Sean Duffy said, citing air traffic control safety concerns and adding that the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agreed to reopen the government.

Duffy's announcement triggered chaos as airlines scrambled to make significant reductions in flights in 36 hours and passengers flooded airline customer service hotlines with concerns about air travel in the coming days, Reuters reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also announced to reduce the air traffic at 40 of the country's "high-volume" airports by 10 per cent beginning Friday, November 7, according to The Associated Press reporte...