The fact the federal government shutdown ended this week doesn’t necessarily mean travelers are going to immediately begin catching their flights on time.
However, the flights are going to be reduced at the same 6% rate as when the government first ordered them cut. That percentage was supposed to rise to 10% by the end of this week.
The flight cuts were put in place last week as more air traffic controllers were calling out of work, citing stress and the need to take on second jobs — leaving more control towers and facilities short-staffed, according to a report from The Associated Press. Air traffic controllers missed two paychecks during the shutdown.
The Department of Transportation said the flight reduction decision was made on recommendations from the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety team, after a “rapid decline” in controller callouts, according to the AP report.
The 6% limit will stay in place while officials assess whether the air traffic system can safely return to normal operations, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday, although he did not provide a timeline.
“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,” Duffy said in a statement.
