Airlines are optimistic they can resume normal operations just a few days after the government lifts its order to cut some flights at 40 busy airports, but it's not clear how soon that will happen even though the federal shutdown is over.

The Federal Aviation Administration did announce on November 12 that airlines won't have to cut more than 6% of flights at those airports because air traffic controller staffing has improved significantly in the last few days. Originally the order that took effect on November7, called for those flight cuts to increase to 8% and top out at 10%.

A number of air traffic controllers missed work while they were going without pay during the shutdown, and the spike in understaffing at airport towers and regional control centers prompted the flight cut order du

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