Will Air Travel Go Back to Normal After the Shutdown Ends?
Travelers in line for a security check point at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Nov. 7.
Photographer: Jim Vondruska/BloombergDelays and cancellations persisted at major US airports, as shortages of air traffic controllers, bad weather and flight cutbacks mandated by aviation authorities snarled domestic travel. But the overall picture improved from a few days earlier, when airports grappled with peak weekend travel demand. And the prospect of an end to the US government shutdown raised hopes that the worst disruptions would subside before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Airports serving Chicago, Atlanta and New York were among the hardest-hit by government-mandated flight cuts. Airlines have canceled more than 9,000 flights since Nov. 7 in response to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s order to cull flights at dozens of major US airports.