The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) said flight reductions will be lowered from 6 percent to 3 percent on Saturday as plane operations recover from the longest shutdown in the country’s history.
“The decision reflects improvements in air traffic controller staffing levels and a continued decline in staffing-trigger events across the National Airspace System (NAS),” a Friday announcement on the FAA website reads.
“The 3 percent reduction will remain in place while the FAA monitors system performance throughout the weekend and evaluates whether normal operations can resume,” it adds.
The 40 airports previously asked to comply with flight reductions will be subject to the change.
Officials have warned that flights will not immediately return to normal despite members of Congress approving a continuing resolution on Tuesday.
“Airlines cannot flip a switch and resume normal operations immediately after a vote — there will be residual effects for days,” former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), now the president and CEO of the airline trade group Airlines for America, said in a statement.
Air traffic controllers were asked to work for weeks without pay to maintain air travel stability, and some reportedly worked second jobs amid the financial constraints. Last Friday, there were more than 1,000 flight cancellations due to staffing shortages.
The FAA said there was an unprecedented number of staffing triggers — 81 — on Nov. 8. There were a total of three on Friday.
“There has been a rapid decline in controller callouts,” the FAA and DOT said in a Wednesday statement.
“Such strong staffing levels suggest a further ramp up in-flight reductions are not necessary to keep the traveling public safe. As the federal government reopens and controllers receive their backpay, the FAA will continue to monitor staffing levels and review key trend lines.”
Sununu’s airline trade group is pushing for adjustments to ensure passengers are able to fly safely in the event of another government shutdown.
“We implore Congress to ensure future funding bills do not allow aviation to become collateral damage in Washington’s policy debates,” Airlines for America said in a Wednesday statement.
“The FAA’s [Federal Aviation Administration’s] Airport and Airway Trust Fund currently has $5 billion that could be used to pay air traffic controllers during future shutdowns. We ask Congress to consider legislation that would implement a long-term solution,” the group added.