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FAA Holds Flight Reductions at 6% as Government Reopens

Back pay to federal workers begins this weekend to speed operational recovery.

Overview

  • The FAA kept required cuts to 6% across 40 major airports instead of raising them to 10% after more air-traffic controllers returned to work.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controllers will receive 70% of their retroactive pay within 24–48 hours of reopening, with the remainder within a week.
  • Officials said the reductions were driven by safety concerns such as tighter in‑flight separations and increased runway incursions, though detailed data have not been released.
  • More than 10,100 flights have been canceled since the order began, with disruptions worsened by weather and longstanding staffing shortfalls.
  • Airlines say they can restore normal schedules within days once the FAA lifts the order, but the timeline is uncertain and Thanksgiving travel could still be affected.