On Wednesday, Nov. 12, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill to reopen the federal government, officially ending a 43-day government shutdown — the longest in American history.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill to reopen the government that evening with a vote of 222 in favor and 209 against. The bill had already cleared the Senate earlier, and was then signed by the President.
The legislation will keep the government running until January next year and ensure funding for several key agencies through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026. This move paves the way for federal employees to receive their paychecks again and allows critical food and nutrition services relied upon by tens of millions of Americans to resume.
Shortly after Trump signed the bill, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum instructing furloughed federal employees to return to work immediately.
Flight disruptions continue despite government reopening
As the federal government reopens, U.S. air travel continues to feel the aftershocks of the shutdown. According to FlightAware data, by early Thursday morning, nearly 1,000 flights had been canceled, with another 400 already scheduled for cancellation on Friday.
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The flight disruptions are mainly due to a shortage of air traffic controllers (ATC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordering a reduction in flight volume during the shutdown. Some unrelated service cuts also contributed.
Although air traffic personnel are gradually returning to their posts, delays and cancellations are expected to persist. The FAA stated one day before the shutdown ended that staffing levels had improved and that the agency would freeze the mandatory shift-reduction rate at 6 percent, instead of raising it to 8 percent as originally planned.
Latest airline cancellations as of Thursday:
- United Airlines: A spokesperson told CNN that 222 flights were canceled on Thursday.
- Southwest Airlines: A spokesperson said about 170 flights would be canceled Thursday.
- Delta Air Lines: FlightAware data shows 28 Delta mainline flights have been canceled.
- American Airlines: The exact number for Thursday remains unclear, but a press release issued Tuesday said the airline expected to cancel about 200 flights per day.
The FAA’s directive requires airlines to cancel flights seven days before scheduled departure, making it difficult to reinstate them once passengers have been notified. CNN reported that some air traffic controllers may never return to work, having opted to retire or resign in search of jobs unaffected by future government shutdowns.
By Gao Yun
