With most observers saying the U.S. government will be forced to make $85 billion in budget cuts due to the sequestration mandated by Congress on March 1, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is making plans to reduce its expenditures by approximately $600 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2013 Those cuts are expected to dramatically slow down the nation’s airline service, maybe not immediately, but certainly by April.

Among the changes the FAA said it considering are furloughing the vast majority its 47,000 employees for approximately one day per pay period; closing more than 100 air traffic control facilities; eliminating the overnight shift at over 60 facilities; and reducing preventive maintenance and support for all air traffic control equipment. The FAA said all of these changes will be finalized as to scope and details through collaborative discussions with the airlines and its own unions. The FAA said it will begin furloughs and start facility shutdowns in April.

"As a consequence of employee furlongs and prolonged equipment outages resulting from lower parts inventories and fewer technicians, travelers should expect delays," wrote Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and Michael Huerta, administrator for the FAA, in a letter to the airlines and related airline organizations. "Flights to major cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco could experience delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because we will have fewer controllers on staff."

LaHood and Huerta wrote that they were aware these service reductions will adversely affect commercial, corporate and general aviation operators. "We also expect that as airlines estimate the potential impacts of these furloughs, they will change their schedules and cancel flights," they wrote.

In addition, LaHood and Huerta said aviation safety employees will also experience furloughs that will affect airlines, aviation manufacturers and individual pilots who need FAA safety approvals and certifications. "Will the [FAA] will continue to address safety risks that could impact operations of the national airspace system, a slowed certification and approval process due to furlough could negatively affect passengers and all segments of the aviation industry."

LaHood and Huerta said the FAA will try to make the best decisions to try to reduce the negative impact to travelers. They said they will be scheduling a meeting this week with airlines and other airline related organizations to answer any questions, concerns and suggestions.

Reaction from travel industry groups has been to call on government leaders to negotiate a solution to the looming sequester budget cuts. “On behalf of our more than 40,000 Travel Leaders Group travel professionals and the millions of corporate and leisure clients we proudly serve, we are calling on the United States Congress and President Barack Obama to take immediate action to resolve the deadlock over the sequestration issues before the March 1 deadline,” said Barry Liben, CEO of Travel Leaders Group.

“Travel remains an integral and vital economic engine,” Liben continued. “Businesses can’t function without it, and millions of travelers depend on it daily for their livelihoods. If our nation’s air traffic controllers, TSA airport screeners and CBP customs agents are furloughed -- which in turn may require airlines to cancel or delay flights and potentially create long delays at security and customs -- our travel industry will suffer. To avert serious and potentially long-lasting damage, not only to the traveling public, but to the American economy, we ask our leaders in Washington to act now.”