The administrator of the F.A.A. said that attendance among air traffic controllers had improved. New data suggested that some airlines had not been complying with the flight cuts in recent days.
The leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation said they would continue monitoring air traffic controller staffing, which has been improving since the shutdown ended.
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, began handing out $10,000 checks to T.S.A. workers who “went above and beyond” during the shutdown, after the president recommended similar bonuses for some air traffic controllers.
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, announced on Thursday that several Transportation Security Administration officers would be awarded checks of $10,000 for working during the shutdown.
The Transportation Department said it was freezing the level of mandated flight reductions, though officials and industry groups said it would take a week after the shutdown ended for air travel to return to normal.
The transportation secretary said data would guide the decision. He also stepped up his warnings of potential chaos, saying some airlines could ground their fleets if the shutdown continued.
The transportation secretary said data would guide the decision. He also stepped up his warnings of potential chaos, saying some airlines could ground their fleets if the shutdown continued.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visiting Reagan National Airport in Washington on Friday. He has drawn praise for taking action on air safety and skepticism from those who see political motivations behind his moves.
About 3 percent of Friday’s flights were canceled because of the government shutdown. The percentage could rise to 20 percent as the holidays approach.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and most other major airports did not see major disruptions on Friday. But the transportation secretary said the number of canceled flights could grow.
Airlines did not wait for an announcement, notifying passengers and airports of expected changes before the Trump administration made official its list of affected airports.
The Republican leaders of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees told Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. that anonymous judges who responded to a Times questionnaire may have violated ethics rules.
“We are deeply concerned that these public attacks on the court from sitting federal judges damage the public’s faith and confidence in our judicial system,” the two Republicans told Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in a letter.
The plan, which officials said was intended to help air traffic controllers, could force the cancellation of thousands of flights as the administration seeks to pressure Democrats to end the shutdown.
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, and Bryan Bedford, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, during a news conference on Wednesday.
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