U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a 10% reduction in flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports starting Friday, November 7.

The decision was announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Dufffy as a necessary step to maintain safety, as air traffic controllers are forced to work without their pay which causes widespread chaos and shortages in staff causing major flight delays.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated at a press conference, “We are seeing pressures build in a way that we don’t feel will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world.”

The cuts will be implemented in phases starting with 4% reduction on Friday, November 7, then 5% on Saturday, November 8, and 6% on Sunday, November 9.

It is forecasted that a complete 10% cut will be imposed next week. The move aims to minimize pressure on air traffic controllers on “high volume” airports as the workers will be missing their second paycheck since the shutdown began 36 days ago.

List of Impacted Airports

FAA has not issued a complete list of airports but as reported by CBS News, following airports are more likely to be impacted:

• Anchorage International (ANC)
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
• Boston Logan International (BOS)
• Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
• Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
• Dallas Love (DAL)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
• Denver International (DEN)
• Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
• Newark Liberty International (EWR)
• Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
• Honolulu International (HNL)
• Houston Hobby (HOU)
• Washington Dulles International (IAD)
• George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
• Indianapolis International (IND)
• New York John F Kennedy International (JFK)
• Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
• Los Angeles International (LAX)
• New York LaGuardia (LGA)
• Orlando International (MCO)
• Chicago Midway (MDW)
• Memphis International (MEM)
• Miami International (MIA)
• Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP)
• Oakland International (OAK)
• Ontario International (ONT)
• Chicago O`Hare International (ORD)
• Portland International (PDX)
• Philadelphia International (PHL)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
• San Diego International (SAN)
• Louisville International (SDF)
• Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
• San Francisco International (SFO)
• Salt Lake City International (SLC)
• Teterboro (TEB)
• Tampa International (TPA)

Airport scrambles, offer refunds

The announcement sent airlines scrambling to adjust their schedules within 36 hours. As notice circulated, airlines announced their strategies to combat the ongoing situation.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby stated that the carrier will spare long-haul international flights and will rather focus on regional flying and non-hub domestic routes.

“United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA. That’s important to maintain the integrity of our network, give impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trip, and sustain our crew pairing systems,” he stated in a memo.

“Instead, we will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs,” he added.

The airline also offered refunds for its customers stating “any customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly – even if their flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable tickets and those customers with basic economy tickets.”

American Airlines stated that it expects the “vast majority” of its customers’ travel to be unaffected.

Southwest Airlines said it was evaluating the impact and would communicate with customers directly, while also urging Congress to “immediately resolve its impasse.”

A sequel to Netflix‘s hit animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters has reportedly been confirmed, and has gotten a release date.

As per Deadline, K-Pop Demon Hunters has been officially been greenlit by Netflix and Sony, just months after the hit film’s release.

While details remain scarce, the report indicates that K-Pop Demon Hunters 2 is slated to release sometime in 2029.

Additionally, creator-director Maggie Kang and co-director Chris Appelhans are set to return for the second installment.

Plans for an animated sequel were being discussed as early as August 28, just days after the original film’s release.

Released on August 23, the Netflix movie tells the story of a group of internationally renowned K-Pop idols who lead a double life as demon hunters.

K-Pop Demon Hunters almost immediately became the most watched film in Netflix history, and its success was bolstered by sing-along screenings held in cinemas, reportedly grossing around $20million in a single weekend.

Following the success of the film, rumours began circulating that a live-action remake is being considered however, creator and director of the film, Maggie Kang, told the BBC she doesn’t like that idea.

“There’s so many elements of the tone and the comedy that are so suited for animation,” she said, adding, “It’s really hard to imagine these characters in a live-action world. It would feel too grounded. So totally it wouldn’t work for me.”

Co-director Chris Appelhans agreed, saying, “One of the great things about animation is that you make these composites of impossibly great attributes. Rumi can be this goofy comedian and then singing and doing a spinning back-kick a second later and then freefalling through the sky. The joy of animation is how far you can push and elevate what’s possible. I remember they adapted a lot of different anime and often times, it just feels a little stilted.”

Prince Harry is showcasing his embarrassment as he recalls time in the UK.

The Duke of Sussex admits he misses life as a British soldier despite all the love he has received in America.

Speaking about his latest essay ahead of Remembrance Day, communications expert Judi James said: “He sounds embarrassed by this ‘reveal’ though. By adding ‘ridiculous as it sounds’, he seems to be apologising to his US audience, perhaps even to his own family, for this admission of nostalgia and what sounds like a sense of longing.”

“This is an important-sounding admission too. Most ex-pats yearn for jars of Marmite or English tea bags, but Harry is letting everyone know, including Meghan here, that he’s missing a kind of shared, intense, complex humour that he might not be able to get in the US,” she notes.

Prince Harry left the Royal Family back in 2020 alongside wife Meghan Markle and son, Prince Archie. The couple later accused the Royal Family of showcasing racism towards their son and publicly shared their grievances on television. Harry and Meghan now live in California, where they also welcomed their daughter, Princess Lilibet.