FAA Resumes Normal Flight Operations Following Shutdown Crisis
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially terminated its emergency order that significantly reduced commercial and general aviation flights at 40 major U.S. airports. As of Monday morning at 6 a.m. EST, operations are set to return to normal levels. This order, which had been in place since November 7, led to a reduction in flight operations by up to 6% due to air traffic controller staffing shortages during the government shutdown.
The emergency restrictions had a broad impact, affecting major hubs including New York’s JFK, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles LAX, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. In addition, the order imposed limitations on general aviation operations. These restrictions included:
- Visual flight rule approaches
- Parachute operations
- Photo missions at facilities experiencing staffing triggers
“Our top priority at the FAA is, and always will be, safety,” stated Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The data shows that controller staffing is improving rapidly, which allows us to hold flight reductions at six percent while maintaining the highest levels of safety.” The FAA has also noted that it is currently investigating reports of non-compliance by carriers during the emergency order period and may pursue enforcement actions.
Source: FAA Newsroom