Flights back to ‘normal,’ but flight concerns hover
On Sunday, November 16, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that starting at 6 a.m. on Monday it will end all the restrictions it had put in place on commercial flights at 40 major U.S. airports.
Restrictions the FAA has on space launches and on general aviation flights at 12 airports will also be lifted.
Flights restrictions that were set to ultimately reach 10% were put in place during the longest government shutdown in history amid concerns about staffing levels of the nation’s air traffic controllers and air traffic safety nationwide.
But once the government shutdown ended, the FAA mandated a 3% reduction over the weekend, down from the 6% reduction that was previously in place.
“Staffing levels have continued to snap back into place since the end of the government shutdown,” the FAA said in a release, noting that “the current data aligns with staffing conditions before the shutdown.”
Record Thanksgiving travelers. Will they fly or drive?
AAA predicts that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, which this year stretches from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1.
The estimate is up 1.6 million travelers over last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record.
But recent flight reductions and delays may cause some Thanksgiving travelers to reconsider how they travel this year.
According to AAA, 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024 And AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel but car.
But those numbers may shift a bit because some people who had planned to fly have already decided to drive or take a bus or train in response to all the recent flight cancellations.
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal opens Tuesday
Although they held a ribbon cutting a few weeks ago, the new $1.7 billion main terminal buidling at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will officially open to the public on Tuesday, November 18.
The Stuck at The Airport team will fly in on that day to be part of the festivities.
We’ll get a first look at all the fresh amenities that are part of the new building, including 12 upgraded security lanes, a new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, outdoor decks, new concessions and lots of locally-made artwork.
A fresh new airport terminal building is always exciting.
But we’re glad to see that some of the ‘old time’ favorite features are making the move to the new terminal.
That includes the PIT’s popular statue of Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris completing the Immaculate Reception.
