While thousands of travelers experienced flight disruptions on Monday, an end to the disruptions that began mounting during the government shutdown seems to be on the horizon—even if it’s not yet clear exactly when it will arrive.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday lifted all the restrictions it imposed on flights during the shutdown after staffing shortages at airports raised safety concerns, saying that normal operations can resume now that the shutdown has ended.
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On Sunday, the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation announced that all restrictions would end as of Monday morning. The government said that staffing levels have continued to rise since the shutdown ended on Wednesday.
“Today’s decision to rescind the order reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns across the [National Airspace System] and allows us to return to normal operations,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a press release.
The FAA had already eased the cuts somewhat over the weekend. But a significant number of flights were still being impacted by delays as of Monday.
Here’s what to know about how the shutdown impacted air travel in the U.S., and what the state of the disruptions is now.
How was air travel affected by the government shutdown?
The shutdown led to disruptions in air travel across the country amid staffing shortages, as air traffic controllers and other federal employees went unpaid for weeks. Thousands of flights traveling through the U.S. began suffering delays or cancellations each day.
Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports because of safety concerns.
Duffy warned at the time that more restrictions could follow. But as the deal to end the shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—moved toward its final passage last week, the Department of Transportation announced that flight reductions wouldn’t increase as much as planned, saying that more controllers were showing up for work.
Is air travel back to normal?
After the shutdown ended, aviation experts warned that it could take a few weeks for air travel in the U.S. to totally return to normal. But airlines said that they believed normal operations would resume in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend.
As of Monday evening, the number of flight disruptions was still in the thousands, though it was down from its peak during the shutdown; there were 79 cancellations and more than 3,600 delays within, into, or out of the U.S., according to flight-tracking platform FlightAware. In comparison, some days prior to the government reopening saw more than 5,000 flights be impacted by disruptions.
Read More: Here’s What You Can Do If Your Flight Is Disrupted By the Shutdown
What if my flight is still delayed or canceled?
Be sure to keep checking the status of your flight, both before you leave for the airport and while you’re waiting to board your plane once there.
If your flight is canceled, you should contact your airline’s customer service line. You can call their customer service line, visit their website, or go to their in-person help desk at the airport. Your airline will rebook you on another flight, free of charge.
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