Government begins reopening, FAA amends airport traffic reductions to 6 percent

The federal government has begun reopening after the House passed a spending bill and President Trump signed it into law on Wednesday. The bill extends funding through January 30. It passed the House 222 to 209 on Day 43 of the shutdown, according to the New York Times, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Government assistance will be able to restart and federal workers, such as air traffic controllers, will receive payment after not being paid since October. Non-essential workers are now expected to begin resuming work, Reuters reported, though it is unclear when full government services and operations will resume. The FAA reduced its restrictions on the 40 high-impact airports in the country. It originally ordered reducing flight traffic by 10% on Thursday and further restricted general aviation operations and effectively prohibited business aviation at 12 covered airports on Monday. Operations will now be reduced by only 6% between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. local time at high-impact airports. The list of high-impact airports includes: Anchorage International (ANC) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) Boston Logan International (BOS)Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Dallas Love (DAL) Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Denver International (DEN) Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) Newark Liberty International (EWR) Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) Honolulu International (HNL) Houston Hobby (HOU) Washington Dulles International (IAD) George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH) Indianapolis International (IND) New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS) Los Angeles International (LAX) New York LaGuardia (LGA) Orlando International (MCO) Chicago Midway (MDW) Memphis International (MEM) Miami International (MIA) Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP) Oakland International (OAK) Ontario International (ONT) Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) Portland International (PDX) Philadelphia International (PHL) Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) San Diego International (SAN) Louisville International (SDF) Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) San Francisco International (SFO) Salt Lake City International (SLC) Teterboro (TEB) Tampa International (TPA)The FAA states that when staffing trigger reports happen at high-impact airports, a dual Airspace Flow Program strategy may be used for general aviation and commercial traffic. General aviation operations may also be reduced by up to 10 percent at that time. General aviation aircraft are now prohibited from operating at 12 covered Airports.The list of Covered Airports includes: Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) Denver International Airport (DEN) General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS) George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)Business flights at the covered airports did go down, but WINGX reports that business aviation activity was diverted to secondary airports in the same areas. Business activity actually went up by 10% the same day the airports were restricted. "NBAA commends Congress for concluding the government shutdown, and we look forward to the full restoration of general aviation access to all airports," said Ed Bolen, NBAA president and CEO. "We thank the nation's air traffic controllers for their dedication to the safe operation of the National Airspace System (NAS) under very challenging circumstances. Safety is the cornerstone of business aviation, and we are grateful for our partnership with these professionals in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the NAS. Additionally, we urge Congress to protect the FAA from future lapses in federal funding by passing a full-year appropriations bill for the Department of Transportation, including the FAA. We also call on Congress to approve the Funding Stability Act of 2025, to allow the FAA to access the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to continue operating in the event of any future government closure." RELATED STORIES: Modern Skies Coalition urges Congress to finish bill to re-open government FAA to implement new restrictions on the 12 busiest airports in the U.S. FAA cuts 10% of flights at 40 major airports; bizav groups respond