United States ends air travel restrictions

Washington, DC .- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that all air travel restrictions imposed during the 43-day federal government shutdown have been lifted, allowing the National Airspace System to return to normal operations starting Monday. The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, led the Trump Administration to reduce activity at 40 major airports due to a severe shortage of air traffic controllers caused by unpaid staffing.

According to DOT, the decision to restore full operations followed FAA safety reviews showing a decline in hazardous incidents despite the staffing crisis. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy thanked FAA personnel for maintaining safety standards and credited the return of air traffic controllers—following the shutdown’s end—for enabling normal flight operations to resume. During the shutdown, major airports in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Washington, and New York experienced flight cuts of up to 6%, resulting in up to 9,000 delays or 2,900 cancellations per day.

DOT also confirmed the end of additional restrictions affecting commercial space launches, general aviation at 12 airports, parachuting activities, and aerial photography near collision-risk zones. With the restrictions lifted, the agency plans to refocus on expanding controller hiring and modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system.