Nov 06, Kathmandu - The three major US airlines have canceled hundreds of flights, with international media reporting that the federal aviation regulator has begun cutting flights at dozens of airports across the country due to staff shortages caused by the government shutdown.

United Airlines will cancel about 4 percent of its flights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday combined. The airline said it will cancel about 200 fewer flights on Friday. American Airlines also said it will cancel about 220 flights daily from Friday through Monday. That's about 4 percent of its total flights.

Delta Air Lines canceled about 170 flights on Friday. Alaska Air, the fifth-largest U.S. carrier, said it would begin canceling a limited number of flights starting Friday.

U.S. regulators announced capacity limits at airports in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and Seattle, in an effort to reduce the workload of air traffic controllers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said international flights will not be affected by the cuts. Domestic air travel will be affected.

The flight cuts will be phased in, the FAA said. The first phase will see a 4 percent reduction starting November 7 and increasing to 10 percent by November 14.

The cuts are considered the first major disruption to air travel directly caused by the government shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the air traffic control industry was already short about 2,000 workers before the shutdown. Thousands of federal workers have been laid off since the longest government shutdown in history began in early October.

Duffy said some air traffic controllers have stopped showing up for work. They are working extra hours to make ends meet. The financial impact on airlines will be even greater if the government shutdown extends into the Thanksgiving holiday and travel rush, he warned.