Airlines are set to resume their regular flight schedules beginning Monday at 6 a.m. EST, according to an announcement made in a joint statement by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

Amid growing safety concerns stemming from staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities during the government shutdown, the FAA issued an unprecedented order to limit air traffic. This order, which had been in place since November 7, affected thousands of flights nationwide. Major airport hubs impacted included New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

Initially, flight reductions started at 4% and later increased to 6%. However, on Friday, the FAA rolled back the restrictions to a 3% reduction, citing ongoing improvements in air traffic controller staffing since the record 43-day shutdown ended on November 12.

Flight cancellations over the weekend hit their lowest levels since the order was enacted and were well below the 3% reduction required by the FAA for Saturday and Sunday. Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that 149 flights were canceled on Sunday and 315 on Saturday.

The FAA’s statement noted that an agency safety team recommended rescinding the order after “detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities.” The FAA also acknowledged reports of non-compliance by some carriers during the emergency order and said it is reviewing enforcement options, though no further details were provided.

Flight cancellations peaked on November 9, when airlines cut more than 2,900 flights due to the FAA order, ongoing controller shortages, and severe weather conditions in some parts of the country. Over the course of last week, conditions improved as more controllers returned to work amid news that Congress was nearing a deal to end the shutdown. This progress also led the FAA to pause plans for further increases in flight reductions—the agency had initially targeted a 10% reduction.

Air traffic controllers were among the federal employees required to continue working without pay throughout the shutdown, missing two paychecks during the impasse. While Secretary Duffy has not shared specific safety data that prompted the flight cuts, he cited reports during the shutdown of planes flying too close in the air, an increase in runway incursions, and pilot concerns about controllers’ responses.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/16/faa-lifts-order-slashing-flights-allowing-airlines-to-resume-regular-schedule-monday/