Travelers across the United States were left scrambling to rebook flights as the government shutdown heaps pressure on the country's air traffic control system, prompting hundreds of Friday flight cancellations at major American airports.

Airlines starting Friday will begin implementing up to a 10-percent reduction in flights for 40 high-traffic areas of the country, complying with a Federal Aviation Administration order made on safety grounds.

More than 750 US flights scheduled for Friday have been preemptively canceled Thursday, according to tracking website FlightAware.

American Airlines said in a statement it was reducing its flight schedules "amounting to 220 flights cancelled each day."

Delta Airlines was axing about 170 flights scheduled for Friday, the carrier said, while broad

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