(Washington, D.C.) Following a more than month-long government shutdown that disrupted air travel, air travel in the United States is gradually recovering, with the number of flights to be cut at 40 of the nation's busiest airports halved.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy wrote on the social media platform X on Friday (November 14): "Yesterday was one of the smoothest days for our airspace recently, with only a few air traffic controllers absent... We are reviewing the data provided and working to restore normal airspace operations."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a statement that day, saying that starting Saturday (November 15), the U.S. flight cuts would be reduced from 6% to 3%.
However, data from aviation data analytics company Cirium showed that only 2% of flights were canceled in the U.S. on Friday morning.
Museums Reopen to Excitement from Domestic and International Visitors
In Washington, D.C., more than a dozen museums that had been closed for more than a month due to the government shutdown reopened on Friday, much to the delight of many domestic and international visitors. At the National Air and Space Museum, more than 100 visitors were already queuing outside 30 minutes before opening.
Further Reading
German tourist Tengniger said, "We were so lucky to be able to book tickets. The website traffic was so high, but my phone was still working fine."
Adams, from Texas, also brought his son to visit the museum. He said, "We've been planning this trip for a while, feeling anxious because of the complete shutdown... It's great to see everyone sit down and negotiate, reach an agreement to reopen, to get people paid again, and to reopen venues like this so that kids can come and visit."
