U.S. Air Carriers Restore Full Timetables after Extended Shutdown

U.S. aviation authorities announced on Monday that commercial services may return to their usual timetables following a prolonged federal funding lapse that strained air-traffic operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted an emergency order that had forced planned reductions at dozens of major airports, saying safety reviews and improving staffing justified ending the curbs early Monday morning.

The caps — first imposed in early November to ease pressure on air-traffic control centers coping with worker shortages during the funding impasse — had required airlines to cut a portion of flights at 40 high-volume hubs.

The limits grew as the shutdown wore on, prompting thousands of cancellations and large numbers of delays at key gateways including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta. As staffing stabilised over the weekend, cancellation rates fell sharply, and the FAA said it was comfortable removing the restrictions effective 6 a.m. Eastern.

Officials praised the controllers and other aviation staff who continued to work through the disruption. Many air-traffic personnel worked without pay during the funding lapse and missed multiple furloughed paychecks, a strain regulators said they factored into the decision to temporarily scale back operations earlier this month.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the move to restore standard schedules followed multiple safety checks and a review of staffing trends.

Airlines and airport operators cautioned, however, that travellers should expect an uneven recovery.

Restoring capacity on paper does not immediately rebook every cancelled flight or reposition crews and aircraft; carriers said they would work through backlog and may operate with slimmer schedules while they rebuild resources ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period.

Industry executives and trade groups urged passengers to confirm itineraries via airline apps before heading to the airport.

Federal investigators will continue examining whether any carriers failed to comply with the earlier order and will monitor safety metrics closely as operations normalize. With the holiday peak days approaching, regulators and airlines said they will remain vigilant to prevent a second wave of interruptions while the system returns to full rhythm.