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17m ago

FAA Lifts Flight Caps at 40 Major Airports as Normal Schedules Resume Monday

Officials pointed to a sharp decline in staffing-trigger events, signaling stabilizing operations.

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Travelers at San Francisco International Airport. The FAA lifted nationwide flight limits Sunday, allowing SFO, Oakland and other major airports to resume normal operations after the shutdown.
A plane approaches Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, more than a month into the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo

Overview

  • Effective 6 a.m. ET Monday, the FAA is rescinding its emergency order that limited flights at 40 major U.S. airports during the 43‑day shutdown.
  • The agency cited safety reviews showing staffing-trigger events fell from a record 81 on Nov. 8 to one on Nov. 16 as controllers returned to duty.
  • The mandated cuts began at 4%, peaked at 6%, were eased to 3% late last week, and are now fully lifted ahead of the Thanksgiving travel period.
  • Cirium reported just 0.25% cancellations Sunday at the affected airports, while the FAA reviews reports that some carriers did not comply with the caps, which carried potential fines up to $75,000 per excess flight.
  • Broader limits on general aviation, some visual flight rule approaches, parachute operations, and commercial space launches are ending, though officials note the controller workforce remains thousands below target and full recovery will take time.