FAA Reduces Flight Cuts Following Government Shutdown

Sat Nov 15 2025 01:32:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The FAA announced it will reduce flight cut restrictions at 40 major U.S. airports from 6% to 3% after the recent government shutdown impacted thousands of flights.

Following the conclusion of a 43-day government shutdown, the FAA will lower its commercial flight reduction from 6% to 3% at major U.S. airports. This decision comes as air traffic control staffing begins to stabilize. While the shutdown posed challenges, officials believe operations may return to normal in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel week. Despite the reduction in cuts, concerns about air safety remain as controller shortages are exacerbated by the crisis.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that it will roll back some of the restrictions on commercial flights implemented at 40 major U.S. airports during the recent government shutdown. The current mandatory flight cuts of 6% will be reduced to 3% after a record 43-day shutdown that ended on November 12.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has emphasized that the restrictions will remain until staffing at air traffic control facilities stabilizes and safety metrics improve. The unprecedented flight reductions, introduced on November 7, were necessary to ease pressure on the aviation system as controller absences grew due to the shutdown.

The flight cuts began at 4% and later escalated to 6%. The FAA aimed for a 10% reduction initially but halted further cuts as additional controllers returned to work. This coincided with reports that Congress was nearing an agreement to end the shutdown.

Air traffic controllers reported missing two paychecks during the shutdown, leading many to seek secondary income sources. Although Duffy did not disclose specific safety data that warranted the flight reductions, he noted increasing incidents where planes came too close to one another and concerns from pilots regarding the responses of controllers.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing U.S. airlines, warned of potential residual effects on airline operations for several days as many aircraft were left out of position. Nevertheless, some experts are optimistic that normal flying conditions may resume swiftly, particularly ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

The ongoing nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers has been exacerbated by the shutdown, with reports of 15-20 controllers retiring daily, alongside younger controllers leaving the profession.