Airlines See Relief as Flight Cuts Ease After Government Reopens
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is easing restrictions on flights after the government shutdown ended, which caused staffing issues among air traffic controllers.
On Friday, the FAA announced that airlines will need to cut only 3% of their scheduled flights at 40 major airports, starting Saturday morning. This is down from the 6% reduction that was put in place earlier. The FAA had ordered these cuts earlier in November, citing safety concerns due to the absence of air traffic controllers, who were required to work without pay during the shutdown.
The FAA and Department of Transportation said that with the government reopened, staffing levels have improved. They will keep watching the situation closely to decide when normal flight operations can fully resume.
Airlines seemed to be ready for this change, as cancellations were already decreasing before the FAA’s announcement.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that improvements were needed to lift the order entirely. Duffy mentioned reports of planes getting too close to each other, more runway incidents, and concerns from pilots about controller response times.
It’s not yet clear how long it will take for the air travel system to get back to normal. The flight restrictions had a quick and disruptive effect on airline operations. Airlines are working to get planes back on their regular routes.
