United Airlines to offer refunds because of shutdown-caused flight restrictions

Core Points - United Airlines will provide refunds to customers with flights booked during the government shutdown, regardless of whether their flights are directly impacted [1][2] - The airline's long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub services will remain unaffected by the FAA's schedule reductions [2][4] - United Airlines plans to focus schedule reductions on regional and domestic mainline flights that do not connect hubs, while still offering approximately 4,000 flights per day [4][5] Industry Context - The FAA has announced a 10% reduction in air traffic across 40 domestic airports due to safety concerns related to air traffic control during the ongoing government shutdown [2][7] - The shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has resulted in 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents working without pay [8]