Nov. 14 (UPI) — Federal authorities on Friday lowered the mandatory flight reductions at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports to 3% as of Saturday morning.
The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration announced the change on Friday and after lowering the mandatory flight reductions to 6% at the same airports because the federal shutdown has ended and more airports are sufficiently staffed.
“The decision reflects improvements in air traffic controller staffing levels and a continued decline in staffing-trigger events across the National Airspace System,” the DOT and FAA said Friday in a news release.
The 3% staffing reduction will remain in effect while the FAA monitors the national air traffic system through the weekend and determines whether normal operations can resume as early as Monday.
The FAA reported only three staffing triggers on Friday, which is down from a record high of 81 on Nov. 8.
A staffing trigger refers to airports that have fewer air. traffic controllers available to safely conduct normal operations.
The staffing triggers compel the FAA to reduce flights at respective airports or impose other restrictions to help ensure safety.
Many air traffic controllers called in sick or quit and accepted other jobs as the record 43-day federal government shutdown prevented them from being paid.
The new 3% flight reductions at the 40 airports take effect. at 6 a.m. local time.
The reduction in mandatory flight cuts at the nation’s busiest airports raises the potential for no flight reductions when the Thanksgiving holiday approaches on Nov. 27.
Thanksgiving traditionally is the busiest travel holiday, but mandated flight reductions due to the government shutdown raised the potential for chaotic holiday travel.