(The Hill) -- Multiple airlines are offering refunds and free flight changes to passengers whose travel plans have been impacted by restrictions amid the record-breaking government shutdown.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Bryan Bedford said Wednesday that the agency will reduce capacity by 10 percent at 40 “high-traffic” airports around the country starting Friday morning. The move comes as air traffic controller staffing shortages hamper facilities nationwide. 

Based on the FAA’s guidance, United Airlines is cutting 4 percent of its flights each day through the weekend, a company spokesperson told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister company. The airline added it is “doing our best to minimize disruption for our customers and crews.”

In a letter on the company’s website, United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline plans to give customers “several days’ advance notice” regarding flight changes. He added that United’s long-haul international flights and hub-to-hub trips will not impacted, as the company will focus its reduction on “regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs.”

Kirby also said that all customers who do not wish to travel amid the restrictions, even those whose flights are not impacted, are eligible for a refund. 

American Airlines, meanwhile, said in a press release Thursday that it expects that the “vast majority of our customers’ travel will be unaffected, and long-haul international travel will remain as scheduled.” American also said it will refund customers whose flights are cancelled “for any reason” and that customers can change their flight or request a refund without penalty. 

Delta Air Lines also expressed confidence that most of its customers’ travel plans, including long-haul international flights, will not be impacted by the restrictions. In a release, Delta said that all customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets while the capacity limits are in place may change, cancel or refund their flights without penalty. 

Bedford, during a press conference alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, cited the need to “take the pressure off of” air traffic controllers, who are set to miss their second consecutive paycheck on Tuesday amid the record-long government shutdown. 

So far Thursday, over 3,300 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have been delayed, with at least 68 such flights cancelled, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. It is unclear what percentage of those flights were disrupted due to controller staffing shortages.

The FAA is expected to announce the airports impacted by the restrictions later Thursday, while a preliminary list was obtained by NewsNation.

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