Overview
- The FAA kept government-ordered reductions at 6% across 40 major airports after a sharp drop in air traffic controller callouts.
- Planned increases to 8% and 10% were scrapped, with officials saying any return to normal operations depends on safety-team trend lines.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford cited safety data, including loss-of-separation events, runway incursions and pilot reports.
- Since limits began, more than 10,100 flights have been canceled, though cancellations fell to about 900 on Nov. 12 as staffing stabilized.
- The agency remains about 3,500 controllers short, a dozen airports are closed to private and charter flights, and experts warn disruptions could persist into Thanksgiving even if funding is restored, with partial back pay expected within 48 hours of a deal.