The FAA has frozen planned flight reductions at 6%, halting increases previously slated to reach 10%.
Air traffic controller staffing has improved sharply, with callouts declining from 81 on Nov. 8 to just 4 on Nov. 12.
The FAA says safety remains the top priority and will continue monitoring system performance hour by hour.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving to limit travel chaos heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, the busiest travel time of the year. The FAA has issued a new emergency order freezing flight reductions at their current 6% level, citing a rapid improvement in air traffic controller staffing. The move pauses previously planned cutbacks that would have raised reductions to 8% and then 10%.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the hold will remain in effect as safety teams evaluate whether the national airspace system can resume normal operations.
Sharp drop in controller callouts
The FAA reports that staffing “triggers”—a metric used to monitor shortages at air traffic facilities—have fallen dramatically over the past several days.
Nov. 8: 81 triggers
Nov. 11: 11 triggers
Nov. 12: 4 triggers
The agency attributes the improvement to the federal government’s reopening and the restoration of backpay for controllers, many of whom had been working without compensation throughout the shutdown.
“These strong staffing levels suggest a further ramp-up in flight reductions is unnecessary to keep the traveling public safe,” the FAA said.
Safety first
Duffy emphasized that the new pause reflects both data and caution.
“President Trump’s message has been heard loud and clear: controllers will be made whole quickly,” Duffy said. “The FAA safety team is encouraged to see our air traffic control staffing surge, and they feel comfortable with pausing the reduction schedule to give us time to review the airspace.”
Bedford echoed the priority on safety over scheduling.
“Our top priority at the FAA is, and always will be, safety,” he said. “We’ll continue to monitor system performance hour by hour, and we won’t hesitate to make further adjustments if needed.”
Restrictions still apply across aviation sectors
While the freeze prevents additional cuts to commercial flights, other temporary restrictions remain in place, including limitations on:
Certain general aviation operations at 12 airports
Visual flight rule (VFR) approaches at facilities still experiencing staffing triggers
Commercial space launches and reentries, now restricted to 10 p.m.–6 a.m. local time
Parachute operations and aerial photo missions near affected facilities
The list of 40 high-impact airports subject to the order remains unchanged. Major hubs such as Atlanta (ATL), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), New York JFK (JFK), Newark (EWR), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and Miami (MIA) are all included.
What this means for travelers
For now, consumers may see fewer delays than expected, as the FAA’s freeze prevents additional flight cuts. But normal operations have not yet fully resumed, and the agency cautions that adjustments could still occur if staffing levels fluctuate.
Travelers flying through one of the 40 impacted airports should continue to:
Monitor airline alerts
Watch for schedule changes
Plan for possible backups during peak travel periods
The FAA said it will base future decisions strictly on staffing data and overall system strain, with public safety as its guiding principle.