The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would end an emergency order mandating cuts in domestic flights at 40 major U.S. airports, effective at 06:00 local time on Monday, the administration announced on Sunday.
The termination of the order will allow the U.S. National Airspace System to return to full, normal operations, according to a joint statement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA head Bryan Bedford.
Staffing levels have continued to recover since the end of the government shutdown last Wednesday, according to the FAA.
Duffy said the focus will then shift to accelerating controller hiring and building a new air traffic control system.
The statement also announced that restrictions on some general aviation operations, commercial space launches, parachute operations, photo missions and other activities are due to expire.
The FAA said it is reviewing instances of airline non-compliance under the emergency order to assess possible enforcement measures.
The cuts, which started with a 4 percent reduction on Nov. 7 in flights at 40 major U.S. airports and expanded to 10 percent on Nov 14, were designed to address staffing shortages and reduce safety risks amid the record-long government shutdown. The move led to widespread cancellations and delays, causing significant disruptions at airports across the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed a spending package passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress on Nov 12, formally ending the record 43-day shutdown.
Analysts believe that while staffing levels are expected to gradually recover, flight delays and cancellations are likely to persist for some time.
FAA to end flight-cutting emergency order
