Flight restrictions will be lifted and normal flight operations will resume Monday morning, just in time for Thanksgiving travel. Here’s what travelers need to know:
If you’ve been nervously monitoring flight schedules for upcoming trips in the United States, you can breathe easier. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted all emergency flight restrictions Monday morning at 6 a.m. EST, ending more than a week of chaos with thousands of flight cancellations and delays at 40 major U.S. airports.
The FAA flight restrictions, which began a 4% reduction in flights on November 7 and eventually grew to 6%, were imposed to address the severe shortage of air traffic controllers during what would become the longest government shutdown in US history: 43 days.
READ: Planning American travel? This is what the historic flight reductions mean for you
What happened during the government flight delays?
The unprecedented cuts to US airports affected all major US airport hubs, including major international gateways such as New York’s JFK and Newark, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles International and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson.
In the worst case, on November 9, airlines had to cancel more than 2,900 flights in one day due to the FAA emergency order, ongoing controller shortages and severe weather. General, more than 5,500 flights were canceled and 23,000 flights delayed during the restriction period. or.
The turnaround: flight restrictions lifted in November 2025
The situation began to improve after Congress ended the government shutdown on November 12. When the inspectors returned to work and received their back pay, the workforce quickly stabilized. The FAA gradually rolled back restrictions, from 6% flight reductions to 3% on Friday, before lifting them completely on Monday.
“I want to thank the FAA’s dedicated safety team for keeping our skies safe during the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history and for the nation’s patience in putting safety first.Transport Minister Sean Duffy said in a statement on Sunday: as reported by ABC News. “Now we can refocus our efforts on increasing air traffic controller recruitment and building the brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people deserve.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford added in the joint statement: “Today’s decision to revoke the order reflects the steady decline in personnel issues within the NAS [National Airspace System] and allows us to return to normal business operations.”
The announcement was made in a joint statement by the Transportation Department and the FAA on Sunday, November 16, confirming that the emergency flight reduction order would end on Monday, November 17 at 6:00 a.m. EST.
What this means for transatlantic travel to the US
The timing of the end of restrictions is particularly important: It falls just days before Thanksgiving 2025, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States. For Scandinavian travelers visiting American friends and family, or for Scandi-Americans heading home for vacation, this is welcome news.
Airlines can now resume full flight schedules, meaning more availability for those booking last-minute travel or dealing with previous US flight cancellations.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that less than 1% of all flights were canceled Over the weekend, FlightAware reported that 149 flights were canceled on Sunday and 315 canceled on Saturday, a dramatic improvement from the height of the crisis.
Looking Ahead: Thanksgiving Travels 2025
Airlines leaders have expressed optimism that operations would recover in time for the Thanksgiving travel period after the FAA lifted flight restrictions. The return to normal business operations could not have come at a better time due to the busy holiday season.
For international travelers, the message is clear: US flight operations are back to normal, but the episode reminds us:
- Book flexible tickets when possible: Travel insurance that covers cancellations proved invaluable during the disruptions
- Provide extra connection time: Even with normal operations, U.S. airports can be chaotic during peak travel periods
- Keep a close eye on the flight status: Download airline apps and enable notifications
- Consider direct flights: Prioritize flights with connections within Scandinavia, such as SAS in Copenhagen or Iceland Air in Reykjavik, rather than scheduling connections at major US hubs to eliminate the risk of missed flights or being stranded.
The bottom line: Normal flight operations resume
As of Monday, November 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST, normal flight operations have resumed at all U.S. airports. If you’re planning Thanksgiving or holiday travel between Sweden and the United States, you can book with confidence that the immediate crisis will pass.
Are you planning a trip between Sweden and the USA? Check flight status and travel advisories before going to the airport, especially during peak holiday periods.
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