The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order Wednesday evening freezing flight reductions at 6% amid a “rapid decline” in air traffic controller callouts.
Flight reductions were initially implemented as airports and air traffic control towers suffered significant staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown, which President Donald Trump officially ended Wednesday night.
The order from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that staffing levels have improved, as there were only four staffing triggers on Wednesday compared to the 81 on Nov. 8.
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“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,” the order stated.
The 6% freeze will remain in place until the FAA can confirm it is safe to return to normal operations.
“The 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, adding that “the safety of the American people comes first.”
Bedford echoed those sentiments, stating that the FAA’s top priority “is, and always will be, safety.”
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“The data shows that controller staffing is improving rapidly, which allows us to hold flight reductions at 6% while maintaining the highest levels of safety in our airspace,” Bedford said. “We’ll continue to monitor system performance hour by hour, and we won’t hesitate to make further adjustments if needed.”
The new order stated that the list of 40 affected high-impact airports that was issued last week remains unchanged.
Air Traffic Control nationwide was significantly impacted by the 43-day government shutdown as controllers worked without pay for weeks in an already stressful environment with low staffing.
Duffy said the president’s message to air traffic controllers that they “will be made whole quickly” has been “heard loud and clear.”
Trump has suggested that the controllers who worked during the government shutdown without calling out receive a $10,000 bonus for their service to the country.
“For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” the president added.
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