United Continental Stock News

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Sunday that the 6% traffic cut implemented last week would be terminated at 6 a.m. ET Monday morning.

The FAA will lift shutdown-related flight cuts at airports nationwide on Monday at 6 a.m. Flight restrictions were imposed due to staffing shortages during the 43-day government shutdown.

Airline executives are pushing lawmakers to make sure air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers are paid if there's another shutdown. Air traffic controller staffing could become even more difficult as a result from the record shutdown, Transportation Secretary Duffy said.

Airlines expected a return to normal to happen relatively quickly, but flight cuts are temporarily frozen at 6%.

Flight cancellations eased to the lowest rate in almost a week on Wednesday ahead of a House vote on a bill that could end the longest-ever government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and major airlines warned that flight disruptions could linger even after the shutdown.

The longest federal government shutdown disrupted tens of thousands of flights in recent days, and with it, U.S. carriers' optimistic expectations for the holiday quarter. Now, they are wrangling with how to minimize the ripple effects on travelers and their bottom line as the government looks set to reopen by the end of the week.

Airlines canceled 1,200 flights on Tuesday, the fifth straight day they have topped 1,000 since the government imposed mandatory flight reductions to address safety concerns.

Airlines will need time to adjust schedules and staffing even after the shutdown ends, major airlines warned. The warning comes just two weeks before the busiest travel days ahead of Thanksgiving and as air traffic controllers miss their second full paycheck since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.