US flights return to normal after government shutdown restrictions lifted, ending 43-day disruption that caused thousands of cancellations.
WASHINGTON: US flights will return to normal schedules on Monday after reductions imposed during a government shutdown were lifted, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The FAA announced Sunday evening that restrictions would be lifted and “normal operations can resume” across the country from 6:00 am Washington time (1100 GMT) on Monday.
Thousands of flights were cancelled due to understaffing during the shutdown, which stretched into a record 43 days.
Ten percent of domestic flights were cut at 40 of the busiest US airports due to a shortage of control tower staff, who were asked to work without pay as the budget stalemate dragged on.
The aviation industry faced additional strain after President Donald Trump threatened to dock pay for air traffic controllers who called in sick during the shutdown, accusing them of being unpatriotic.
Flights remained reduced by three percent over the weekend despite the shutdown ending on Wednesday, though the FAA said some airlines had not complied with the restrictions.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement that “now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand new, state of the art air traffic control system.”
The easing of restrictions comes days before a surge in passengers travelling around the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday on November 27.
