Even With the Shutdown Over, These Key Travel Concerns Aren’t Going Away

Updated 10:00 a.m., Nov. 17, 2025: The FAA has officially lifted its flight-reduction emergency order, as well as other restrictions that include guardrails around visual flight rule approaches and commercial space launches.

With the holiday travel season fast approaching, thousands of wary travelers have been keeping a close eye on the status of the government shutdown that has been underway since early October. Now officially the longest in United States history at 43 days, the shutdown impacted countless Americans. While President Trump signed the funding bill H.R. 5371 into law on November 12, 2025, officially ending it, that doesn’t mean travelers are in the clear just yet.

Although the federal government, and thus the aviation system, is moving closer to normal operations, the full recovery will likely take days. The FAA's 6% reduction of flights at 40 major airports caused cascading flight delays and cancellations up until this point. Major airlines like Delta and American say they expect to return to full operations soon, but many travelers remain skeptical. With routes disrupted and crew schedules thrown off, getting everything back on track will take time. Plus, according to CNN, the FAA's reduction in flights is still in effect—and will remain so until they deem it is safe to resume more flights.

Key Concerns For Travelers

• It is expected that U.S. domestic airfare will be 6-7% higher for both Thanksgiving and year-end holidays.
• The shutdown worsened an already-existing air traffic controller shortage; retirement-age controllers are leaving their roles four times faster, and younger controllers are quitting under the shutdown pressures.
• Airlines have already lost millions of dollars due to the shutdown, and now that consumers are losing trust, this domino effect may continue and could impact prices, routes, and availability (even though major airlines assure travelers that this shouldn't happen).
• The agreement signed into law isn't a lasting solution, and will only fund most of the government through January, so this could happen again.

Even though the effects of the shutdown are still being felt even after the signing of funding bill H.R. 5371, the FAA remains committed to maintaining traveler safety. Now that air traffic controllers are being paid again, there’s a palpable sense of relief in airports—not just among travelers, but also among employees as staffing levels begin to stabilize.

Year-end travel is already stressful, but travelers can still feel confident about moving safely within the U.S. While the possibility of another shutdown (and the strain it could put on the system) will remain top of mind, holiday travel is expected to remain relatively stable.