WASHINGTON — The leaders of the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration announced Sunday that they were ending flight restrictions at 40 airports that were imposed just over a week ago during the government shutdown, citing improved staffing levels among air traffic controllers.

In a statement, they said the FAA’s safety team had recommended the return to normal operations, which would begin at 6 a.m. Monday.

The decision “reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.

“Controllers have returned to their posts and normal operations can resume,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, praising President Donald Trump’s leadership. “Now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand-new

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