Flight restrictions slashed at 40 major US airports as government reopens, staffing improves

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford announced on Friday the required flight reductions at 40 U.S. airports will be lowered from 6% to 3%, as the government reopens following a record-breaking shutdown.The change will go into effect Saturday at 6 a.m., following a recommendation from the FAA safety and operations team.FAA officials said the decision reflects improvements in air traffic controller staffing levels and a continued decline in staffing-trigger events across the National Airspace System (NAS).The 3% reduction