Flight cancellations persist as federal government reopens after shutdown

Flight Restrictions & Government Intervention - The Department of Transportation capped flight restrictions at 6%, preventing increases to 8% and 10% due to a shutdown deal [1] - The industry is adopting a wait-and-see approach regarding air traffic controller staffing levels and potential resumption of normal flight volume [2] Flight Cancellations & Delays - Initial cancellations reached approximately 1,000 flights nationwide [2] - Newark experienced roughly 75 flight cancellations, representing about 6% of its total flights [2] - O'Hare had the highest number of cancellations, with approximately 100 flights affected [2] - Atlanta Hartsfield airport reported around 90-95 cancellations, a significant decrease from previous days [3] - Nationwide delays were minimized to 500, a substantial improvement from 6,000-10,000 delays a few days prior [3][4] Staffing Triggers & Recovery - Staffing shortages, caused by unpaid air traffic controllers calling out sick, led to reduced airport capacity [4] - Staffing triggers peaked at 81 on Saturday, decreased to 11 on Tuesday, and further to 4 on Wednesday [5] - As of the report, there were no staffing triggers nationwide, indicating a potential return to normal operations [5]