The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted flight restrictions at 40 major airports following a 43-day government shutdown that caused staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities, allowing airlines to resume routine operations starting on Monday at 6 a.m. EST. Weekend flight cancellations dropped to "its lowest point since the order took effect," with FlightAware reporting 315 and 149 flights canceled, as reported by Click2Houston.
The Federal Aviation Administration initially reduced flights by 4%, then 6%, before scaling back to 3% due to improved staffing at control facilities. The rollback reflects the agency's confidence in returning to standard flight schedules while addressing prior safety concerns.
Flight restrictions have been lifted following the recommendation of a safety team, which, after conducting "detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities," concluded the order should be rescinded, as per ABC13. During the federal shutdown, air traffic controllers worked without pay, with some missing two paychecks. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the decision. The Federal Aviation Administration did not provide specific safety metrics behind the initial restrictions but noted instances of planes flying close together and said it "is aware of reports of non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order" and is reviewing enforcement options. With restrictions lifted, airline operations are expected to resume normal schedules.
