The FAA announced on Nov. 16, 2025, that all flight restrictions would be lifted at 6 a.m. on Nov. 17, ending the unprecedented order that had been in place since Nov. 7. The restrictions affected 40 major airports including large hubs in 🗽New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Airlines were given permission to resume their regular flight schedules. Transportation Secretary SDSean Duffy and FAA Administrator BBBryan Bedford made the announcement in a joint statement, citing detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities.

The flight cuts started at 4% and later grew to 6% before the FAA rolled restrictions back to 3% on Nov. 15, citing continued improvements in air traffic controller staffing since the record 43-day shutdown ended on Nov. 12. The FAA originally had a 10% reduction target but held off on further rate increases because more controllers were coming to work amid news Congress was close to reaching a deal to end the shutdown. Air traffic controllers missed two paychecks during the impasse while being forced to continue working.

Cancellations hit their highest point on Nov. 9, when airlines cut more than 2,900 flights because of the FAA order, ongoing controller shortages, and severe weather. The total impact included 9,500 flight cancellations and tens of thousands of delays according to the 🌲Washington Post. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that less than 1% of all flights were canceled the weekend of Nov. 16-17, with FlightAware reporting 149 flights cut on Sunday Nov. 17 and 315 canceled on Saturday Nov. 16.

Transportation Secretary SDSean Duffy said worrisome safety data showed the restrictions were necessary to ease pressure on the aviation system and help manage worsening staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities as the shutdown entered its second month. However, Duffy never shared the specific safety data that prompted the cuts. He cited reports during the shutdown of planes getting too close in the air, more runway incursions, and pilot concerns about controllers' responses, but provided no concrete numbers or documentation.

The FAA statement said an agency safety team recommended the order be rescinded after detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities. Staffing triggers, which refer to instances where the number of available air traffic controllers falls below safe levels, dropped from 81 on Nov. 8 to six on Nov. 15, eight on Nov. 16, and just one on Nov. 17. The FAA said it was aware of reports of non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order and is reviewing and assessing enforcement options.