The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday that it is ending its emergency order limiting commercial flights at 40 large U.S. airports, with airlines cleared to resume full regular schedules beginning Monday at 6 a.m. Eastern Time.
The restrictions were first imposed on November 7 amid concerns over staffing shortages in air‑traffic control during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. At their peak, airlines were forced to reduce flights by as much as 6 percent across the affected airports, and more than 2,900 flights were canceled on a single day.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford issued a joint statement saying stabilisation of air‑traffic controller staffing and improvements in operational indicators prompted the decision to lift the curbs.
Travel‑industry officials say the timing is critical as the U.S. heads into the busy Thanksgiving travel period. The return to “normal” schedules is expected to ease booking, departure and arrival pressures at major hubs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and beyond.
That said, both the FAA and carriers acknowledge recovery won’t be instantaneous. Some residual delays may persist as airlines re‑ramp schedules, and the FAA stressed it will continue to monitor the system for safety risks, including reports of controller fatigue, near‑miss incidents and runway incursions during the shutdown period.
For passengers, the message is one of cautious relief: flights are back to full steam ahead, but the lessons of recent weeks underscore how fragile the air‑travel network can be when frontline staff are stretched thin.
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