The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will lift its emergency flight-reduction order, allowing the nation’s air travel system to return to normal operations after weeks of disruption caused by the government shutdown.
The FAA confirmed that normal operations will resume on Monday.
The order, set to expire on November 17, had restricted departures from U.S. airports due to severe staffing shortages triggered by the shutdown.
Air traffic controllers, many of whom worked without pay for 43 days, increasingly began calling out, forcing the FAA to slow the flow of air traffic to maintain safety.
Following a review of safety data across air traffic control facilities, the agency said it had seen a sharp turnaround.
The FAA reported a “steady decline” in staffing-trigger events, citing six events on Nov. 14, eight on Nov. 15, and just one on Nov. 16.
It marks a dramatic improvement from the peak of 81 events on Nov. 8.
“Today’s decision to rescind the order reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns across the NAS and allows us to return to normal operations,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy praised the agency for navigating the shutdown’s fallout and said the department can now refocus on rebuilding the nation’s aviation infrastructure.
The FAA will begin “surging controller hiring and building the brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people deserve,” Duffy said.
He also thanked the FAA’s “dedicated safety team for keeping our skies secure during the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history and the country’s patience for putting safety first.”
With staffing stabilizing, the FAA will lift restrictions on general aviation flights at 12 airports, as well as on certain visual flight rule approaches, commercial space launches, parachute operations, and aerial photo missions.
The agency also confirmed it is reviewing reports of “non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order.”
However, the FAA did not provide further details.
Air travel nationwide was thrown into disarray as the shutdown came to a close.
More than 1,800 flights were delayed or canceled on Nov. 13 alone, according to FlightAware, which reported 996 canceled flights and 906 delayed by late morning.
President Donald Trump signed legislation on Nov. 12, reopening the government until Jan. 30, 2026.
The move ended the Democrats’ historic shutdown that had paralyzed federal agencies and rippled across the nation’s transportation systems.
READ MORE – Kristi Noem Awards $10,000 Bonuses to TSA Officers Who Worked Through 43-Day Shutdown
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.