Air travel is finally back to normal after the government shutdown
Flight restrictions during the closing days of the protracted federal government shutdown hit thousands of flights and millions of passengers
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U.S. officials have lifted all remaining restrictions on flights that were imposed during the federal government shutdown, allowing airlines to resume their normal schedules Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration, citing safety concerns, had restricted air traffic since Nov. 7 at 40 major airports including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta . The restrictions during the closing days of the protracted shutdown hit thousands of flights and millions of passengers, with flight cuts starting at 4% and later rising to 6% before they were gradually rolled back.
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Over the weekend the limits stood at 3%, but as of Monday morning they had all been lifted. The government shutdown, which was the longest in history at 43 days, ended on Nov. 12.
The actual number of flights canceled over the weekend was even lower than the 3% mandated though, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, which showed fewer than 1% of journeys not taking place, according to The Associated Press.
The FAA statement said an agency safety team recommended the cancellation order be rescinded after “detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities.”
The statement said the FAA “is aware of reports of non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order. The agency is reviewing and assessing enforcement options.”
Cancellations peaked on Nov 9, when airlines cut more than 2,900 flights amid the order, as well as a spell of bad weather in some parts of the U.S., leading to fears that transportation would still be heavily affected during the Thanksgiving holiday period.
The shutdown had left many air traffic controllers without pay, missing two paychecks during the standoff in Washington.
“I want to thank the FAA’s dedicated safety team for keeping our skies secure during the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history and the country’s patience for putting safety first,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. He added that controllers had “returned to their posts and normal operations can resume.”