Former air traffic controller Michael Pearson says an Obama-era “social engineering” experiment has gutted the FAA’s training pipeline, leaving U.S. airspace understaffed and travelers facing years of turbulence.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) emergency flight reduction order will officially end Monday morning, allowing normal operations to resume across the country, officials said.
The order will be lifted at 6 a.m. ET on Monday, following recommendations from the FAA safety team. The decision came after safety reviews and improvements in air traffic control staffing in the US, according to an announcement on Sunday by the FAA.
“I want to thank the FAA’s dedicated safety team for keeping our skies safe during the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history and for the nation’s patience in putting safety first,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the auditors have returned to their posts and normal operations can resume.”
FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS AT 40 MAJOR US AIRPORTS REDUCED AS GOVERNMENT REOPENS, STAFFING IMPROVES
Duffy added, “Now we can refocus our efforts on increasing controller recruitment and building the brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people deserve.”
Since the end of the government shutdown, workforce levels have largely returned to normal, according to the announcement.
There were six staffing triggers on Friday, eight on Saturday and just one on Sunday – data the FAA says is consistent with pre-shutdown conditions.
In contrast, 81 triggers were reported on November 8.
AVIATION EXPERT WARNS TURBULENCE COULD LAST: HOW TO PREPARE FOR A SMOOTH TRAVEL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
The air traffic control tower at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City, U.S., October 28, 2025. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/Reuters)
The lifted order will also end a number of restrictions on general aviation operations at 12 airports, visual flight control approaches at facilities with personnel triggers, commercial space launches and reentry, parachute operations and photo missions, according to the announcement.
“Today’s decision to lift the order reflects the steady decline in staffing issues within the NAS and allows us to return to normal operations,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “I am grateful for the hard work of the FAA safety and operations teams and their focus on the safety of the traveling public.”
AIRLINES TO LOSE ‘MILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ DUE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN’S IMPACT ON FLIGHTS, SAYS DUFFY
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee checks a traveler’s documents at Hollywood Burbank Airport during the first day of a partial U.S. government shutdown in Burbank, California, on October 1, 2025. (Daniel Cole/Reuters/Reuters)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
On Friday, Duffy and Bedford announced that required flight reductions at 40 U.S. airports would be reduced from 6% to 3% if the government reopens after a record-breaking shutdown.
The change went into effect at 6 a.m. Saturday, following a recommendation from the FAA’s safety and operations team.
