Overview
- President Donald Trump signed a funding bill Wednesday night to reopen the government, ending the record shutdown.
- Mandatory cuts will stay at 6% at 40 major airports after plans to raise them to 8–10% were shelved due to a rapid drop in controller callouts, officials said.
- More than 10,100 flights have been canceled since the reductions began, with nearly 1,000 more scrubbed early Thursday even as daily disruptions trend lower.
- DOT says controllers will receive roughly 70% of back pay within 48 hours, while airlines estimate several days to a week to rebuild schedules and reposition crews.
- Experts caution some delays could extend into the Thanksgiving travel period, though airline leaders express confidence holiday operations can be maintained.