The Federal Aviation Administration has begun easing the emergency flight-reduction order that forced airlines to cancel thousands of departures during the record 43-day federal shutdown. Starting Saturday (16 November), carriers will be required to cut only three percent of scheduled flights at 40 major U.S. airports—down from six percent earlier in the week and a peak of ten percent on November 7.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing levels among unpaid but essential air-traffic controllers have stabilized enough to raise capacity, though safety metrics such as runway-incursion responses remain under review. FlightAware data show cancellations falling from 3,000 on Sunday to 273 projected for Saturday. Airlines have reinstated most Thanksgiving-week seats, but warn that final schedules depend on Congress ending the shutdown before December payroll lapses.
![FAA Scales Back Shutdown-Era Flight Caps, Restores Capacity Ahead of Thanksgiving]()
Corporate-travel managers welcomed the rollback, noting that the prior cap had disrupted executive itineraries and delayed critical cargo. Global mobility teams should still expect residual delays at New York, Atlanta, and Chicago hubs where controller overtime backlogs persist.
The episode underscores the vulnerability of U.S. air travel to federal funding disputes. Industry groups are renewing calls for an FAA self-funding mechanism similar to airport passenger-facility charges to shield critical operations from political gridlock.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing levels among unpaid but essential air-traffic controllers have stabilized enough to raise capacity, though safety metrics such as runway-incursion responses remain under review. FlightAware data show cancellations falling from 3,000 on Sunday to 273 projected for Saturday. Airlines have reinstated most Thanksgiving-week seats, but warn that final schedules depend on Congress ending the shutdown before December payroll lapses.
Corporate-travel managers welcomed the rollback, noting that the prior cap had disrupted executive itineraries and delayed critical cargo. Global mobility teams should still expect residual delays at New York, Atlanta, and Chicago hubs where controller overtime backlogs persist.
The episode underscores the vulnerability of U.S. air travel to federal funding disputes. Industry groups are renewing calls for an FAA self-funding mechanism similar to airport passenger-facility charges to shield critical operations from political gridlock.
