The Federal Aviation Administration will lift restrictions on domestic airspace capacity, more than a week after it imposed the emergency order to maintain safety amid air traffic controller shortages.
The restrictions will lift on 17 November at 06:00 Washington, DC time, says the FAA, allowing normal operations to resume across the domestic airspace system.
“The FAA safety team recommended the termination of the order following their detailed reviews of safety trends and the steady decline of staffing-trigger events in air traffic control facilities.” the agency states.
The 7 November order involved a 10% reduction in airspace capacity at 40 locations across the USA, covering almost all major US hubs, from Phoenix and Dallas to New York.
The cuts stem from a shortage of air traffic controllers, who – like other federal employees – were not paid after the US government shut down on 1 October. The FAA says many controllers have called out of work and taken other jobs, contributing to a staffing shortage and leaving remaining controllers fatigued.
In its latest statement, the agency notes: “Staffing levels have continued to snap back into place since the end of the government shutdown.”
The FAA also said it was “aware of reports of non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order”, though it did not name any airlines.
“The agency is reviewing and assessing enforcement options,” it adds.