FAA Lifts Flight Restrictions

The United States — Federal Aviation Administration announced it is lifting all restrictions on commercial flights that were imposed at 40 major airports during the country's longest government shutdown. Airlines can resume their regular flight schedules beginning Monday at 6 a.m. EST. The United States — Federal Aviation Administration had issued an unprecedented order to limit air traffic since November 7, citing safety concerns due to staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities. The flight cuts initially started at 4% and grew to 6%, affecting thousands of flights across the United States, including major hubs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The United States — Federal Aviation Administration later rolled back restrictions to 3% on Friday, citing continued improvements in air traffic controller staffing since the 43-day shutdown ended. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had stated that worrisome safety data necessitated the cuts. Airline leaders are optimistic that operations will rebound in time for the Thanksgiving travel period.