US flights set to return to normal after shutdown-driven chaos.
The US aviation regulator says flights will finally return to normal from Monday morning after weeks of chaos caused by the government shutdown.
The FAA announced that restrictions would be lifted by 6:00 am Washington time on Monday, allowing airports nationwide to restart full operations.
The shutdown, which dragged on for 43 days, the longest in US history, left airports struggling. Thousands of flights were cancelled because there simply weren’t enough air traffic controllers on duty. Many were working without pay, and some stopped showing up altogether.
About 10% of domestic flights at 40 major airports had to be cut because control towers didn’t have enough staff to manage traffic safely.
At one point, President Donald Trump even threatened to cut the pay of controllers who called in sick during the shutdown, accusing them of being “unpatriotic,” a move that further strained an already stressed aviation workforce.
Even after the shutdown officially ended on Wednesday, flight numbers stayed 3% below normal over the weekend. The FAA said some airlines still didn’t comply with temporary restrictions, slowing the recovery.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency will now focus on hiring more controllers and upgrading the ageing US air traffic control system to avoid future breakdowns.
The easing of restrictions comes just days before millions of Americans hit the airports for Thanksgiving travel on November 27. For many travellers, the hope is simple: no more surprises.
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