The Federal Aviation Administration has announced the lifting of all restrictions on commercial flights at 40 major airports across the country following the end of the government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
Starting Monday at 6 a.m. EST, airlines are permitted to resume their regular flight schedules, as stated by the agency.
In a joint statement, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford explained the decision to lift the restrictions, which were put in place due to safety concerns arising from staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities during the shutdown.
Impacted airports included major hubs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, with flight cuts initially at 4% and later increasing to 6% before being rolled back to 3% on Friday.
The FAA cited improvements in air traffic controller staffing and safety trends as reasons for rescinding the order, following detailed reviews and a decline in staffing-triggered events.
Despite reports of non-compliance by carriers during the emergency order, the FAA is reviewing enforcement options but did not provide further details.
Flight cancellations peaked on Nov. 9, with more than 2,900 flights affected, but conditions improved as controllers returned to work and Congress neared a deal to end the shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the necessity of the flight reductions to ease pressure on the aviation system and manage staffing shortages, which had led to safety concerns among air traffic controllers working without pay.
Airline operations are expected to rebound in time for the Thanksgiving travel period following the lifting of the FAA order, providing relief to both passengers and industry leaders.
