The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end on Wednesday night, but flight disruptions are expected to continue for days as the air traffic system returns to normal operations.
The shutdown led to thousands of flight delays and cancellations across the country due to staffing shortages at airports as air traffic controllers went unpaid for weeks. Citing safety concerns, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced last week a 10% cut in flights at 40 major airports.
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But on Wednesday, as the deal to end the shutdown moved toward its final passage, the U.S. Department of Transportation said that flight reductions at those airports will remain at 6%, rather than increasing to 10% as planned, because more air traffic controllers are going into work.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “safety team is encouraged to see our air traffic control staffing surge, and they feel comfortable with pausing the reduction schedule to give us time to review the airspace,” Duffy said in a press release. “The data is going to guide what we do because the safety of the American people comes first. If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are moving in the right direction, we’ll put forward a path to resume normal operations.”
Here’s what to know about air travel as the government is reopening.
Are flights still disrupted?
Yes. Across the country, more than 2,000 flights were delayed and about 1,000 flights were canceled as of Thursday afternoon, according to flight-tracking platform FlightAware.
Some of the 40 major airports affected by the flight reduction were experiencing delays and cancellations on Thursday. The Chicago O’Hare International Airport, for instance, had 105 cancellations and 177 delays as of Thursday afternoon, while the San Francisco International Airport had about 54 cancellations and 336 delays.
Read More: Here’s What You Can Do If Your Flight Is Disrupted By the Shutdown
When will air travel return to normal?
The Department of Transportation said in its press release that, “as the federal government reopens and controllers receive their backpay, the FAA will continue to monitor staffing levels and review key trend lines.” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency will “continue to monitor system performance hour by hour” and “won’t hesitate to make further adjustments if needed.” But officials didn’t share a timeline for when they expect the air traffic system to resume its normal operations.
Aviation experts told CBS News that it could take “a couple weeks” or even “many weeks” for air travel to go back to normal. But the trade group Airlines for America said in a press release on Wednesday that airline crews “will work quickly to ramp up operations especially with Thanksgiving holiday travel beginning next week,” once the FAA approves airlines to return to full capacity.
What should I do if my flight is delayed or canceled?
It’s important to keep yourself up-to-date on the status of your flight amid the ongoing disruptions, so make sure you check that it’s still scheduled to take off before leaving for the airport and while you’re at the airport waiting to board your plane.
If your flight is canceled, you should talk to a customer service representative for your airline, either by calling, visiting their website, or going to their in-person help desk at the airport. Customer service will rebook you on another flight, without any extra cost to you. But be patient, as it could take time to get you on another flight.
If you decide that you don’t want to be rebooked on another flight, the airline has to refund you your money.
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