Airlines are optimistic they can resume normal operations just a few days after the government lifts its order to cut some flights at 40 busy airports, but it’s not clear how soon that will happen even though the U.S. government shutdown is over.

The Federal Aviation Administration did announce Wednesday night that airlines won’t have to cut more than six per cent of flights at those airports because air traffic controller staffing has improved significantly in the last few days. Originally the order that took effect last Friday called for those flight cuts to increase to eight per cent Thursday and top out at 10 per cent on Friday.

A number of air traffic controllers missed work while they were going without pay during the shutdown, and the spike in understaffing at airport towers a

See Full Page