New Delhi, Nov. 6 -- The United States is considering a 10 per cent cut in flights at 40 major airports as the government shutdown touched a record 36th day on Wednesday. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agreed to reopen the government.

The move is aimed at taking pressure off air traffic controllers. Notably, the shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay since the shutdown began October 1, Reuters reported.

The drastic plan to significantly reduce flights in just 36 hours left airlines scrambling to make changes. Passengers also flooded airline customer service hotlines with concerns about air travel ...