by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:10 AM ET, Mon November 17, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted the government-mandated
cuts in domestic flights that were put in place during the record-breaking federal
shutdown.
According to Reuters,
the FAA made the announcement Sunday night, saying impacted flights at 40
airports across the United States would return to full service on Monday morning
at 6 a.m. ET now that air traffic controllers are paid and back to full force.
The FAA revealed that restrictions on space launches and general
aviation flights had been lifted, with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford
saying that the decision “reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns.”
Reuters is reporting that airlines expected the move, as the
top U.S. carriers “had not canceled any flights for Monday and were not
planning to do so.”
Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that many of the airports
where the flight service cuts were mandated ignored the order, with just a 0.36
percent cancellation rate in the U.S. on Sunday, a number well below the FAA
mandate.
As a result, the FAA said it was “aware of reports of
non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order,” and the federal
agency would review enforcement options, including “a fine of up to $75,000 for
every flight operated above the mandated limits.”
The cuts to flight service were originally implemented to minimize
travel disruptions caused by shortages of air traffic controllers during
the shutdown. While federal employees are back to work, the FAA revealed that
it is still around 3,500 air traffic controllers short of its targeted staffing
levels.
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