Airlines Ready to Resume Normal Operations After Federal Flight Restrictions

Thu Nov 13 2025 21:56:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

With the FAA lifting flight cuts, airlines express optimism to restore services, despite concerns about lingering impacts on holiday travel. The staffing issues due to the federal shutdown led to significant cancellations at busy airports.

Airlines are poised to return to normal operations just a few days after the FAA indicated that restrictions on flight cuts will be lifted. The FAA confirmed that improved air traffic controller staff levels will prevent deeper cuts, but experts warn of potential delays affecting Thanksgiving travel as the industry ramps back up. A significant number of flights were canceled due to staffing shortages during the federal shutdown, causing disruptions across the network.

Airlines express optimism about resuming normal operations soon after the FAA lifts its order to reduce flights at numerous busy airports. The FAA announced that airlines will now only be required to cut 6% of their flights, following significant improvements in air traffic controller staffing levels after the recent federal shutdown.

The initial cut requirement began last Friday and was set to escalate, but with improved staffing levels reported by the FAA, airlines can expect to get back on track more quickly than anticipated. However, while enhancing safety was paramount, this abrupt staffing shortage resulted from controllers missing work without pay during the shutdown, stymieing operations across the aviation sector.

Despite the hopeful outlook, experts suggest the effects of the disruption may linger, potentially impacting travel plans during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. While airlines are actively working to mitigate damages, travelers may still experience some delays as the systems are fine-tuned back to normal.

“We are eager to resume normal operations over the next few days once the FAA gives clearance. We look forward to welcoming 31 million passengers—a new record—to our flights during the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period,” an industry spokesperson acknowledged.

American Airlines has signaled confidence returning to regular schedules with hopes to efficiently manage through the holiday surge, indicating that many travelers deserve reliability during these busy travel times.

The path to recovery will depend on the FAA's continuing assessment of safety data combined with airlines' operational responses to planning ahead during a fluctuating labor landscape. Airlines remain determined to minimize any further disruptions to their services.