The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Sunday that all restrictions on commercial flights affecting 40 major airports are being lifted. This decision comes after the longest government shutdown in history.
Starting Monday at 6 a.m. ET, airlines will be allowed to revert to their normal flight schedules.
This announcement was made in a joint statement by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Brian Bedford.
During the shutdown, the FAA initially imposed restrictions due to safety concerns stemming from staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities. These limitations, in place since November 7, affected thousands of flights nationwide.
Key airports impacted include major hubs in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Flight reductions began at 4% and expanded to 6%, but by Friday, the limit was adjusted back to 3% due to improvements in staffing levels among air traffic controllers following a record 43-day grounding.
After a thorough review of safety trends, the FAA safety team recommended lifting the order. They noted a steady decline in incidents prompting staffing concerns at air traffic control facilities.
However, the FAA also mentioned they are aware of reports about airlines not complying with the emergency order, and they are considering enforcement actions, although specifics were not provided.
On November 9, flight cancellations peaked with over 2,900 flights being cut, attributed to FAA orders, an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers, and severe weather conditions in some regions. Thankfully, the situation showed improvement as more controllers returned to work, coinciding with news of potential Congressional agreements to resolve the shutdown. Thus, the FAA decided against imposing further flight reductions.
While the FAA had initially considered a 10% cut in flights, Duffy cited alarming safety data which he believed made such measures necessary to alleviate pressure on the aviation system and address escalating staffing shortages in air traffic control facilities as the shutdown wore on.
Amid the shutdown, federal employees, including air traffic controllers, had to work without pay and missed two paychecks. Duffy didn’t reveal specific safety data justifying the cuts but mentioned increased instances of stationary aircraft approaching in the air and heightened runway incursions, as well as pilot apprehensions regarding controller responses.
Airline leaders have expressed hope that with the lifting of these restrictions, flight operations will stabilize, allowing travel to resume smoothly for the Thanksgiving holiday period.
