Airlines are inching back toward stability as the shutdown’s end brings a gradual rollback of flight cuts, though CEOs warn the recovery won’t be instant. Delta’s Ed Bastian was especially blunt, calling the 43-day disruption “inexcusable” and urging long-term investment in modern air traffic control systems. Carriers at 40 airports are preparing to restore normal schedules within days, even as the industry braces for a record Thanksgiving travel surge.

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