The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday froze a planned increase in flight reductions at the country’s 40 busiest airports, keeping cuts at 6% following a significant decline in air traffic controller absences.
The agency had previously planned to raise reductions to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the hold at 6% would continue as the FAA monitors staffing levels and assesses when operations could return to normal.
Flight cancellations and delays have dropped sharply in recent days, reflecting more controllers returning to duty. Airlines expressed hope that operations would largely stabilize by the weekend if the shutdown ends as expected.
“The reduction in absences allows us to maintain current flight schedules while ensuring safety,” Duffy said.
The FAA has been working with airlines to minimise disruption, which has affected millions of passengers over the past several weeks.
