The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday its intention to roll back some commercial flight restrictions at 40 major U.S. airports, reducing mandatory flight cuts from six percent to three percent.
This adjustment follows the record 43-day shutdown, which concluded on November 12, despite previous warnings that restrictions would persist until air traffic control staffing stabilized and safety metrics improved.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had repeatedly underscored this position. The unprecedented order, in effect since November 7, had impacted thousands of flights.
The FAA’s chief previously stated that troubling data necessitated the measure to relieve pressure on the aviation system as the shutdown entered its second month, exacerbated by a rise in controller absences. Many controllers, unpaid for over a month, cited financial strain and the necessity of taking on side jobs.
The flight cuts started at 4 percent and later grew to 6 percent. The FAA originally had a 10 percent target, but officials held off on further rate increases because they said more controllers were coming to work amid news that Congress was close to reaching a deal to end the shutdown.
Air traffic controllers 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.
How long it will take for the aviation system to stabilize is unclear. The flight restrictions upended airline operations in just a matter of days. Many planes were rerouted and aren’t where they’re supposed to be. Airlines for America, the trade group of U.S. airlines, warned there could be residual effects for days.
Some experts predicted the problems could linger longer but airline executives were optimistic that flying could quickly return to normal ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel week.
The nationwide shortage of controllers isn’t new, but the shutdown put a spotlight on the problem and likely made it worse. Duffy said that by the end of the shutdown, 15–20 controllers were retiring daily, and some younger controllers were leaving the profession.
