Normal Flights Resume as FAA Lifts Shutdown Restrictions

U.S. flights are set to return to their regular schedules starting Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that restrictions imposed during the recent government shutdown have been lifted.

The FAA confirmed late Sunday that all limitations would be removed. The agency stated that “normal operations can resume” across the entire country beginning at 6:00 a.m. Washington time (1100 GMT) on Monday.

Shutdown Impact and Staff Shortages

The restrictions were a consequence of the record-long 43-day government shutdown, which led to widespread service disruptions. Thousands of flights were canceled due to severe understaffing.

During the budget stalemate, which forced personnel to work without compensation, flight capacity was cut by ten percent at 40 of the busiest U.S. airports. This was directly due to a shortage of air traffic control tower staff.

The situation was exacerbated when President Donald Trump publicly threatened to dock the pay of air traffic controllers who called in sick, accusing them of unpatriotic behavior.

Even after the shutdown officially ended on Wednesday, flights remained reduced by three percent over the weekend. The FAA noted that some airlines had not fully complied with the temporary restrictions.

Forward Focus on Modernization

The easing of restrictions comes just days before a major surge in passenger travel associated with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday on November 27.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy welcomed the move, emphasizing future priorities. “Now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand new, state of the art air traffic control system,” Duffy said.