Earlier Report: FAA Maintains 6% Flight Reduction Amid TPA Cancellations

On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the removal of all limitations on commercial flights at 40 prominent airports, restrictions that were implemented during the nation’s longest government shutdown.

Starting Monday at 6 a.m. EST, airlines are authorized to return to their standard flight schedules, according to the agency.

The FAA had initiated an extraordinary directive to reduce air traffic due to safety concerns linked to staffing shortages at air traffic control centers amid the shutdown. This order, effective since November 7, had disrupted thousands of flights nationwide.

Major airports impacted by these restrictions included significant hubs such as those in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

The flight cuts started at 4% and later grew to 6% before the FAA on Friday rolled the restrictions back to 3%, citing continued improvements in air traffic controller staffing since the record 43-day shutdown ended.

Cancellations hit their highest point Nov. 9, when airlines cut more than 2,900 flights because of the FAA order, ongoing controller shortages and severe weather in parts of the country. But conditions began to improve throughout the week as more controllers returned to work amid news that Congress was close to a deal to end the shutdown. That progress also prompted the FAA to pause plans for further rate increases.

The agency had initially aimed for a 10% reduction in flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said worrisome safety data showed the move was necessary to ease pressure on the aviation system and help manage worsening staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities as the shutdown entered its second month and flight disruptions began to pile up.

Air traffic controllers were among the federal employees who had to continue working without pay throughout the shutdown. They missed two paychecks during the impasse.

Duffy hasn’t shared the specific safety data that prompted the cuts, but he cited reports during the shutdown of planes getting too close in the air, more runway incursions and pilot concerns about controllers’ responses.

Airline leaders have expressed optimism that operations would rebound in time for the Thanksgiving travel period after the FAA lifted its order.