Airlines are expressing confidence that they can restore normal flight operations within just a few days, providing relief for millions of Thanksgiving travellers, after the Federal Aviation Administration scaled back mandatory flight reductions at 40 of America's busiest airports.
Flight Restrictions Eased Amid Staffing Improvements
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday evening that airlines would no longer need to cut more than 6% of flights at affected airports, representing a significant improvement from the previously scheduled increases to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday. This positive development comes as air traffic controller staffing levels have shown marked improvement in recent days.
The original flight reduction order, which took effect last Friday, was implemented due to safety concerns arising from substantial understaffing at airport towers and regional control centres. During the recent federal shutdown, numerous air traffic controllers missed work while going without pay, exacerbating an existing shortage of several thousand controllers across the system.
Thanksgiving Travel Uncertainty Remains
While airlines project a rapid return to normal operations, officials from both the FAA and Transportation Department provided no updates on Thursday morning regarding when they might completely lift the flight reduction order. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasised that any decision would be based on safety data being closely monitored by FAA experts.
The airline industry maintains it can resume normal operations within three to four days after restrictions are fully lifted. However, some aviation experts caution that problems could persist longer than anticipated, potentially affecting Thanksgiving travel. The situation's unpredictability makes it difficult to assess whether carriers can recover as swiftly as they typically do after major weather disruptions.
By late Thursday morning, approximately 1,000 flights had been cancelled nationwide as airlines strategically focused reductions on smaller regional routes to minimise impact on their main hubs.
Record Thanksgiving Travel Expected
The Airlines for America trade group expressed optimism on Thursday, stating: "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, beginning next Friday."
In positive news for affected workers, Transportation Secretary Duffy confirmed that controllers and other FAA employees should receive 70% of their back pay within 24-48 hours of the shutdown's conclusion, with the remainder coming over subsequent paychecks. The financial strain had driven some controllers to seek secondary employment and take time off to manage stress.
The staffing crisis peaked last Saturday when 81 different FAA facilities reported critical worker shortages, forcing additional flight cancellations. By Thursday morning, the FAA reported no staffing warnings at airports or radar facilities nationwide.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and Chief Operating Officer David Seymour informed employees in a Thursday letter that they're already observing improvements as controller staffing stabilised over the past day. They noted that while further flight reductions remain necessary until the FAA lifts its order, travellers should experience fewer delays and cancellations on their travel days.
The executives expressed confidence that American Airlines' contingency planning and disruption-minimisation efforts would enable a rapid recovery and "deliver a strong Thanksgiving operation," acknowledging that millions of travellers "deserve the certainty" for their holiday journeys.
