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FAA Freezes Flight Cuts at 6% as Government Reopens, Leaving Thanksgiving Travel Uncertain

Regulators say a safe, stable system will dictate the timing of lifting caps.

Overview

  • The House passed a bill to end the shutdown and sent it to President Donald Trump, paving the way for federal operations to resume.
  • Mandatory flight reductions will stay at 6% across 40 major airports after officials scrapped plans to raise the cap to 8–10% due to a sharp drop in controller callouts.
  • More than 10,100 flights have been canceled since the restrictions began, though delays and cancellations have declined in recent days, according to FlightAware.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controllers will receive a lump sum equal to 70% of back pay within roughly 48 hours of reopening, with operational decisions guided by safety data.
  • Airlines are rebuilding schedules and some executives expect near-normal operations by the weekend, yet experts caution disruptions could linger for days or weeks into the Thanksgiving travel period.