DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The nation’s airways could soon hit turbulence of a different kind. 

On November 5, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will start cutting flights as soon as Nov. 7 if air traffic controllers remain unpaid during the shutdown.

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The FAA plans to cut flight capacity by 10% at 40 airports nationwide—including Detroit Metro—to ease strain on controllers who’ve now missed one paycheck and are bracing to miss another on November 11.

“Our top priority is that when Americans fly, they will make it to their destination safely,” Duffy said, warning that without relief, “mass chaos” could soon hit the skies.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency won’t wait for disaster before acting. “We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that staffing shortages are already delaying nearly half of U.S. flights.

The cuts come as the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, enters its fifth week with no end in sight. The U.S. Travel Association estimates more than $4 billion in losses so far, and Thanksgiving travel is just around the corner.