The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it will lift all restrictions on commercial flights, effective January 30, 2024, following the conclusion of a prolonged government shutdown. This decision ends an emergency order that caused significant disruptions and led to thousands of flight cancellations nationwide.
Emergency Order Comes to an End
In a joint statement, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed that the emergency order, which impacted operations at 40 major airports, will be terminated at 6 a.m. E.T. on Monday. The FAA’s safety team recommended this action after conducting thorough reviews of safety trends and observing a steady decline in staffing-related incidents at air traffic control facilities.
The emergency measures initially reduced flights by 4% at the impacted airports, a figure that escalated to 6% due to ongoing staffing shortages among air traffic controllers. However, the FAA managed to roll back this reduction by 3% late last week as staffing levels began to improve following the end of the record 43-day shutdown.
Since the shutdown concluded, staffing levels have shown consistent recovery. The FAA reported only one staffing trigger incident on Sunday, compared to eight on Saturday, a notable decrease from a record high of 81 triggers recorded the previous weekend. Staffing triggers are alerts that indicate insufficient air traffic controllers at any given airport, prompting operational limitations.
Resumption of Normal Operations and Future Plans
Alongside lifting flight restrictions, the FAA will also remove limits on various general aviation operations at twelve airports. Additionally, restrictions on commercial space launches and reentries, as well as limits on visual flight approaches at certain facilities, will be lifted.
In a post on the social media platform X, Duffy expressed optimism about the return to normal flight operations. He stated, “The FAA has determined that normal flight operations can resume after multiple days of positive staffing with air traffic controllers in our towers. Now we can refocus our efforts on hiring and building the state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people deserve.”
Duffy also acknowledged the role of President Donald Trump in facilitating this transition, stating, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, controllers have returned to their posts and normal operations can resume.”
The lifting of these restrictions marks a significant step towards restoring normalcy in air travel across the United States, ensuring that passengers can expect more reliable and efficient flight operations moving forward.
