The federal government shutdown could soon come to an end. But that will not immediately fix the problems afflicting air travel.

Even if the government ends the flight restrictions in place at 40 busy airports that contributed to widespread disruptions over the weekend, it will take days for airlines to recover. And long-standing challenges to the nation’s aviation system remain.

“Even before the shutdown, there was widespread recognition that we were dealing with an ailing air traffic control system,” a coalition of groups representing all facets of aviation, from pilots to airlines to airplane manufacturers, said in an open letter to Congress on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to reopen the government.

Congress approved $12.5 billion this year to modernize the air traffic control system, an

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