By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Airlines canceled 1,200 flights on Tuesday, the fifth straight day they have topped 1,000 since the government imposed mandatory flight reductions to address safety concerns.

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4% of daily flights starting on Friday, November 7, at 40 major airports because of air traffic control staffing issues. Reductions in flights rose to 6% on Tuesday.

Flight reductions were set to hit 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday, November 14. Airlines and the FAA are in discussions about when and how the cuts will be reduced and eventually eliminated as a record-setting 42-day government shutdown nears an end.

A number of different options are being discussed for how the FAA might end or shrink t

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