By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Major U.S. airlines are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to drop mandatory 6% domestic flight cuts at 40 major airports imposed to address air traffic safety concerns after the end of a record-setting government shutdown.

Airlines are largely not in compliance with the FAA order that requires much steeper cuts. Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, said airlines canceled just 2% of overall flights Friday, down from 3.5% on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, air traffic controllers and other FAA employees began receiving back pay equal to about 70% of what they are owed excluding overtime, the FAA and union officials said.

Airlines have been privately making the case to the FAA that it is time to end the cuts and some have said they plan

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