By Rejoice Peterside
Flight operations across the United States are expected to return to full capacity on Monday following the lifting of aviation restrictions imposed during the country’s historic 43-day government shutdown.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in a statement released on Sunday evening, confirmed that all limitations on flight schedules would be removed, allowing “normal operations to resume” nationwide from 6:00am Washington time (1100 GMT).
During the shutdown, the FAA enforced a mandatory 10 per cent reduction in domestic flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the US. This measure was taken to manage severe understaffing in control towers, as thousands of air traffic controllers were compelled to work without pay due to the federal budget stalemate.
The staffing crisis led to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights, triggering widespread frustration among passengers and airlines already under pressure during the peak travel season.
Although the shutdown ended on Wednesday after Congress approved a spending package, the FAA noted that airlines had not fully complied with the reduced-flight directive, forcing the regulator to maintain a three per cent reduction in flights over the weekend.
Tensions escalated further after President Donald Trump threatened to dock the salaries of controllers who called in sick, accusing them of being “unpatriotic” as the shutdown dragged on. His comments drew criticism from aviation unions and opposition lawmakers, who argued that controllers were working under unsafe conditions.
The shutdown, the longest in US history, began after disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over federal budget provisions, leading to the closure of several government agencies and leaving hundreds of thousands of workers without pay for more than six weeks.
President Trump, surrounded by Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, signed the bill to reopen government agencies on November 12.
US Transport Secretary, Sean Duffy, welcomed the lifting of restrictions, saying the government would now accelerate efforts to rebuild the aviation workforce and modernise the country’s air traffic control system.
“Now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system,” Duffy said.
His comments come ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday on November 27, when millions of Americans are expected to travel, putting additional pressure on airlines to stabilise operations quickly.
However, with restrictions lifted and recruitment expected to resume, airlines are optimistic about restoring confidence among passengers ahead of the holiday rush.
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