The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted flight restrictions tied to the government shutdown, allowing US airports and airlines to resume normal operations after weeks of delays and reduced schedules.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced that the 6% traffic cut imposed in the midst of the longest-ever US government shutdown would end at 6 a.m. ET on November 17, 2025. The decision follows an FAA review of recent safety and staffing data that showed steady improvement across the air traffic control system.
The FAA ordered the traffic reduction as controller staffing dropped during the prolonged shutdown. The mandate affected 40 major airports and contributed to delays and cancellations throughout the country as airlines adjusted their schedules to meet the required cuts. The agency said it based the restrictions on “trigger events” in which controller staffing fell below safe minimum levels.
According to the FAA, those events declined significantly over the past week. Officials said staffing concerns that drove the reduction had stabilized, giving the agency confidence that normal traffic levels can resume without compromising safety. They also noted that cancellation rates have fallen as more controllers returned to work following the shutdown’s end.
The rollback will remove limits on commercial flights, general aviation operations at affected airports, and several specialty activities the FAA previously curtailed. Those included some visual-flight arrivals, commercial space operations, and aerial photography or parachute flights that required additional controller workload.
The shutdown, which lasted more than a month, left thousands of FAA employees working without pay or on furlough. The agency said the return of funding has allowed air traffic facilities to restore staffing levels, although it cautioned that the recovery would take time. On November 16, officials said the system had improved enough for the traffic order to be lifted completely.
Airlines had been operating with reduced flight volumes since the FAA issued the mandate. Carriers trimmed schedules, shifted aircraft rotations, and delayed some flights to comply with the cuts. Airports in major hubs such as Atlanta, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Chicago saw heavier delays as airlines absorbed the reductions.
With the restrictions ending, airlines are expected to move quickly to restore normal schedules. The FAA said it will continue to monitor staffing and traffic flows in the coming days and will “respond as needed” if conditions change.
The agency also said it is reviewing reports that some airlines may not have fully complied with the mandated traffic reduction. Officials did not specify which carriers are under review but said the agency is assessing possible enforcement actions.
The end of the flight caps comes as airports prepare for the busy holiday travel period. The FAA said it will publish updated operational guidance as needed and remain in communication with airlines and airports to support the return to full capacity.
