WASHINGTON — After a record 43‑day government shutdown that grounded thousands of flights and strained the nation’s aviation system, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Sunday that normal schedules would resume nationwide beginning Monday morning.
The shutdown, which began in early October 2025 and ended on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, was the longest in American history. It forced air traffic controllers to work without pay and led to the cancellation of roughly 10 percent of domestic flights at the country’s busiest airports. Airlines struggled to maintain operations, passengers endured weeks of delays, and industry leaders warned of mounting safety risks.
“Normal operations can resume,” the FAA said in a statement, confirming that restrictions would be lifted at 6:00 a.m. Washington time. Even after the shutdown ended, schedules remained reduced by about 3 percent over the weekend, underscoring the difficulty of restoring full service after such a prolonged disruption.
The aviation crisis became a flashpoint in the broader political battle. President Donald Trump, who presided over the shutdown, accused controllers who called in sick of being “unpatriotic” and threatened to dock their pay. Labor unions countered that forcing essential workers to remain on duty without compensation endangered both morale and safety. “We kept the skies safe under impossible conditions,” one union representative said.
Government officials defended the decision to hold firm during the budget standoff. A White House spokesperson said the administration was “committed to fiscal responsibility” and argued that “temporary disruptions, while regrettable, were necessary to secure long‑term reforms.” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao added that “the aviation system proved resilient under extraordinary pressure, and the return to normal schedules shows the strength of our infrastructure.”
Industry analysts estimate that airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars during the shutdown, while travelers faced cascading cancellations and uncertainty. “The system was stretched to its breaking point,” said one aviation expert. “We were fortunate that no major accidents occurred.”
Passengers expressed frustration at the ordeal. “I missed two business trips and had to cancel a family holiday,” said a traveler at Chicago O’Hare. “It felt like ordinary people were paying the price for political games.”
The episode has reignited debate about the fragility of U.S. governance and the risks of political gridlock. For many, the sight of grounded planes became a symbol of how quickly essential infrastructure can falter when government funding lapses. “This shutdown showed us how vulnerable we are when politics paralyzes government,” said a political analyst in Washington.
As flights return to normal, questions remain about resilience. Can the aviation system withstand another political crisis? And will the lessons of this shutdown — from October 2 to November 12, 2025 — spur reforms to protect critical services from partisan deadlock?
