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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has canceled an emergency order that mandated flight reductions at major U.S. airports, allowing commercial airlines to resume their regular schedules. The decision comes just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, averting widespread disruptions for millions of passengers.
The initial order was implemented as a safety precaution amid a government shutdown that furloughed thousands of federal employees, critically impacting air traffic controller staffing levels. To manage the strained system, the FAA had required airlines to reduce their schedules by 6% at 40 of the nation's busiest airports. Officials had warned that these cuts could potentially increase to 10% if the staffing crisis continued, raising concerns about significant travel chaos.
Earlier in the week, the agency provided a glimmer of hope by announcing it would not escalate the cuts. Following improved attendance from controllers, the FAA decided to freeze the flight reduction plan at 6%, providing some stability but keeping capacity limits in place. This move was a direct response to better-than-expected staffing metrics at key air traffic control facilities.
With the end of the shutdown and the return of federal workers, the FAA has now determined that operations can safely return to normal capacity. The complete withdrawal of the order means airlines can restore thousands of flights that had been preemptively canceled. This reversal allows commercial airlines to resume normal operations, offering significant relief to both the industry and the traveling public. While the immediate crisis has been resolved, the situation has highlighted the ongoing challenges related to air traffic controller shortages, a long-term issue the FAA continues to address through accelerated hiring and training initiatives.
