Commercial airlines across the United States will return to normal scheduling Monday morning after the Federal Aviation Administration ended the nationwide flight restrictions put in place during the recent government shutdown.
The FAA announced Sunday that the limits — which affected 40 major airports including Phoenix Sky Harbor — will be lifted at 6 a.m. EST. The move follows a gradual improvement in air traffic controller staffing since the shutdown ended on Nov. 12.
The agency had imposed the unprecedented order on Nov. 7 as staffing shortages worsened at air traffic control facilities, prompting initial 4% cuts to flight operations that later grew to 6%. The restrictions hit some of the country’s busiest hubs, including airports in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Aviation data over the weekend showed a sharp decline in cancellations, with less than 1% of flights cut nationwide. That drop, paired with internal safety reviews, led the FAA’s safety team to recommend ending the order altogether. Officials noted they are still reviewing reports that some carriers did not fully comply with the emergency restrictions.
At the peak of the disruptions on Nov. 9, airlines canceled more than 2,900 flights due to the combined effects of the FAA order, staffing shortages and severe weather. But conditions improved steadily as more controllers returned to work and Congress signaled progress toward ending the shutdown.
The FAA had initially considered pushing reductions as high as 10% to ease pressure on the system, citing reports of aircraft getting too close in flight, increased runway incursions and pilot concerns about controller response times.
Airline executives say they expect operations to stabilize in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel period now that the restrictions have been lifted.
A recent Cirium industry bulletin offers additional data on nationwide cancellation trends.
