The Federal Aviation Administration has started to remove the major limitations on commercial flights after the longest government shutdown in the United States history brought a lot of pressure on it.
Beginning Monday, November 17, 2025, airlines were given the go-ahead to fly regularly at 40 big U.S. airports, a turning point that was crucially needed after weeks of horrible traveling messes.
The restrictions, the initial restrictions introduced in the shutdowns, were triggered by the shortages of staffing in air traffic control facilities that were found to be rampant.
As thousands of controllers were placed on furlough or worked under severe stress, issues of safety were piling up, and the FAA limited flight volumes to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
Its shutdown was officially over on November 12, but the FAA was very careful on implementing cuts gradually; first it was cut down to 10 percent and later to 3 percent as staffing was gradually restored.
Although the restoration on Monday is a good sign of major improvement, officials caution that there will still be caps until the air traffic control workforce is stabilized and the safety measures are normalised.
The FAA and the Department of Transportation are still keeping a close eye on the performance of the systems to prevent further disruptions.
The aftermath of the shutdown was extensive: thousands of flights were postponed or canceled, the rerouted aircraft caused logistical difficulties throughout the country, and airlines tried to support their operations.
Recovery of normal schedules will only lead to a gradual relief, but the residual disruption could go on until the systems resume normal functioning.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy pointed out that safety was the initial focus in the shutdown.
Both showed fresh interest in restoring staffing rates, accelerating the recruitment of controllers, and modernizing the country’s air traffic control system to prevent future susceptibility.
To a certain extent, the opening of the American skies is a strong indicator of cautious optimism, which is a positive move towards restoring sanity in the aviation sector, which has experienced one of the most volatile operational periods of recent times.
