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US airlines are bracing for what stands to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record, testing a strained aviation system that’s only just bounced back from flight restrictions prompted by the government shutdown.Sprinkle in persistent air-traffic controller shortages, calamitous winter weather brewing in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest, as well as fuel-supply constraints, sporadic tech outages and the rollout of REAL ID requirements, and aviation experts say travellers should brace for disruptions and extra stress.Industry group Airlines for America anticipates US airlines will carry a record of more than 31mn passengers from November 21 through December 1. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meanwhile, expects this Thanksgiving to be the busiest in 15 years. In any event, the annual spectacle of mass migration will wear on the system’s durability and travellers’ pain threshold alike.“Airlines have made travel so unpleasant if you’re in a standard economy seat,” said Henry Harteveldt, the founder of Atmosphere Research Group, which advises the industry. Cramped spaces on the plane, long security lines and checked bag fees are among the many reasons why “tempers flare” at the airport, he said.Footage of endless lines snaking through terminals, intoxicated passengers brawling on planes or travellers throwing basic rules of comportment to the wind have become popular social media fodder. Together, they’ve created the impression of air travel as survival sport and airports as dystopian zones that should best be avoided.That’s why Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is using the Thanksgiving rush to insert what he says is some much-needed civility back into the act of travel. That means “dress up to go to the airport, help a stranger out, and be in a good mood,” he wrote in a post on X.“I’m not trying to put the blame on anybody, I’m just asking us all to be better and do better and we’ll all have a more pleasant experience,” Duffy told reporters earlier this week, noting that he expects it to be the busiest Thanksgiving on record.Air-traffic controllers will be ready to handle the surge in flights, with towers “adequately staffed” for the holidays, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters.Airlines are rebounding from flight reductions mandated during the government shutdown, which wreaked havoc on the aviation system as an uptick of air traffic control staffing shortages led to disruptions at airports across the US.Travellers will also have to be on the lookout for delays linked to bad weather, including winter storms starting in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest and moving East. Heavy rains and potential floods will come for Tennessee and other areas, moving toward the Northeast as many look to travel after the Thanksgiving holiday.The heightened activity stands to be a test case for what exactly needs to change under any sort of network modernisation envisioned by President Donald Trump’s administration — with both political parties eager to place blame elsewhere for any widespread travel snarls.Flights into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume, were temporarily halted on Tuesday due to severe weather that caused the FAA to evacuate the air traffic control tower for the hub. A separate facility controlled airspace during the evacuation, which last about 10 minutes, the agency said.In addition, some flights leaving Seattle have been forced to add additional stops to refuel after a pipeline spill cut off jet fuel supply to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.The Transportation Security Administration said it’s preparing to screen more than 17.8mn people from November 25 to December 2, with more than three million travellers expected to go through airport security on Sunday alone. The overall number is less than was projected last year, though Sunday’s estimate is on par with 2024.The top five busiest airports during the Thanksgiving week will be Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Denver International Airport, according to data from travel bookings app Hopper.And once all the Thanksgiving festivities have subsided, Sunday will be another eventful day — the busiest of 2025 based on seats scheduled, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium. 

A record number of Americans had been expected to fly during Thanksgiving, but a 43-day government shutdown dampened demand for one of the year's busiest travel seasons.Many skittish travellers rethought their plans as cancellations and delays mounted while the shutdown wore on."It's not worth the mental strain and worry and what-ifs and if I get stranded, where am I going to get stuck?" said Elizabeth Kelley, 45. During the shutdown, she decided she would not fly home to Maine to visit family for Thanksgiving because she feared delays and cancellations. Her plans have not changed.About 6mn US travellers were expected to take domestic flights during the holiday, up 2% from 2024, according to the AAA. But bookings slowed after the shutdown hit the one-month mark. The steepest drop came during the final week when the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts at 40 major airports.As of November 24, flight bookings for the five-day holiday period are down 4.48% from a year ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Bookings were up 1.56% on October 31, but have steadily declined.At Newark Airport on Monday, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a press conference that travelers should be confident but prepare for busy airports and potential weather issues."For us, this week is our Super Bowl, and I'm here to tell you, we've got a great plan," Beford said. "Please know you should fly with confidence."Southwest Airlines said the shutdown and economic uncertainty made it difficult to forecast Thanksgiving demand. Delta Air Lines expects to fly roughly 6.5mn customers, similar to last year. Some airlines were planning for a surge in last-minute bookings as travelers regain confidence.United Airlines said it expected about 6.6mn customers over a 13-day period, the most passengers the airline has ever flown during a Thanksgiving holiday. American Airlines said it will operate nearly 81,000 flights during the same period, up from 77,000 in 2024.The FAA said it anticipates that this Thanksgiving holiday travel period will be the busiest in 15 years, with the most passengers expected on Tuesday, November 25."I don’t usually get such quick and last minute bookings," said Kimberly Hillard, co-owner of Front Porch Travel in Annapolis, Maryland. "I had two last-minute bookings this week, one to Aruba and the other for Costa Rica," she said, after many of her clients put their travel plans on hold during the shutdown.Many airline travelers plan to avoid major hubs. For instance, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the busiest US airport, will see 7.6% fewer Thanksgiving travellers.Amtrak said it expects record train travelers this year after 1.2 million Americans booked trips with the railroad last year. Bus and train marketplace Wanderu has seen demand rise 17% year-over-year, led by bus bookings.The effects of the shutdown may drag into Christmas. During the shutdown, bookings were trending about 0.42% lower year-over-year, according to an early analysis by Cirium.

US retail sales growth likely moderated a touch in September, capping an otherwise solid quarter of spending by consumers who are nonetheless frustrated by high prices and anxious about job security. Economists expect a 0.4% increase in sales after the 0.6% gain a month earlier, based on the Bloomberg survey median estimate. Delayed for more than a month by the government shutdown, the Census Bureau is scheduled to issue the figures Tuesday. Retail demand proved resilient over the summer, probably helping to fuel an acceleration in economic growth during the third quarter.At the same time, there’s a risk that consumer outlays will cool as many employers temper hiring. Moreover, discretionary spending is being supported mostly by upper-income shoppers enjoying the fruits of the year’s stock market rally. For those further down the income ladder, the higher cost of many staple items is taking a toll. The latest University of Michigan data show consumers have the dimmest views of their personal finances since 2009, and see the probability of losing their jobs at the highest in five years.In the retail space, companies including Walmart Inc and Gap Inc have reported strong quarterly sales as well as success in appealing to higher-income shoppers. Yet Home Depot Inc warned that many consumers are putting remodelling projects and big-ticket purchases on hold. Other key US data in the coming week include the producer price index and durable goods orders for September, as well as weekly jobless claims. Those reports come ahead of Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday, the biggest retailing day of the year. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book on Wednesday, covering October and early November, is likely to highlight weakness in employment and activity. “Labour-market conditions bottomed during the summer, then improved gradually until the government shutdown began — which led to some renewed weakness in spending and hiring.Firms are mostly seeking ways to cut costs by adopting technology and trimming hiring. Altogether, we believe the Fed can and probably should cut rates in December to sustain the fragile recovery that began during the summer,” say Anna Wong, Stuart Paul, Eliza Winger, Estelle Ou, Chris G Collins, Troy Durie and Alex at Bloomberg.Canada will release gross domestic product data on Friday. It likely grew slightly in the third quarter after contracting between April and June as US tariffs crushed exports. The Bank of Canada expects 0.5% expansion on an annualised basis, and has said it believes rates are at “about the right level” as long as the economy and inflation evolve in line with its forecasts. Traders in overnight swaps currently see just a slim, 3% chance of a rate cut at the central bank’s December 10 meeting. Still, the GDP report is expected to show a sluggish economy with a manufacturing sector hit hard by the US trade war. Elsewhere, the long-awaited UK budget and inflation readings from Australia to Germany to Mexico will draw attention.Central bankers in New Zealand, Israel and Nigeria are likely to cut interest rates, while South Korea is expected to hold. Asia’s final week of November brings a dense run of price data and rate decisions that will shape how policymakers close the year. The week begins with Singapore’s October CPI, with economists predicting an acceleration in prices, while Taiwan follows with its unemployment rate. Tomorrow, South Korea releases consumer confidence, Japan has department-store sales, and Taiwan reports industrial production for October.The data will give a sense of how consumption and external demand are holding up across North Asia. Attention shifts mid-week to Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s October CPI will show whether price pressures remain elevated enough for the Reserve Bank to stay on an extended hold. Third-quarter construction data, due the same day, will highlight the impact of lower borrowing costs on the building pipeline. In Wellington, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to lower borrowing costs again to bring its official cash rate to 2.25%, a near 3-1/2 year low.Singapore’s industrial production figures and the Philippines’ budget balance are also on the calendar. Attention turns to Seoul on Thursday, where the Bank of Korea is set to leave rates unchanged at 2.5%. The same day, New Zealand reports third-quarter retail sales and ANZ business surveys, key to measuring how easier monetary conditions are feeding through to households and firms. The week concludes with a data-heavy Friday.Japan’s Tokyo CPI, labour-market data, retail sales and industrial production will offer a comprehensive snapshot of how households and manufacturers are coping with tighter monetary settings and a weaker yen. South Korea’s industrial production and the Philippines’ trade balance are also on tap. Taiwan posts preliminary third-quarter GDP and India closes the week with its third-quarter growth print ahead of a long-awaited trade pact with the US. Public finances will dominate the headlines in Europe. Most prominent will be the UK, where Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers a budget after weeks of speculation that have roiled financial markets and — according to survey data — unsettled business sentiment.Reeves needs to find as much as £30bn ($39bn) in extra funds to restore stability to the public finances. Having floated the prospect of income tax increases that would have broken pre-election promises, she dialled back on that and is now likely to take other steps to achieve her goal. The UK government said over the weekend that it will freeze rail fares in the upcoming budget. It also will increase subsidies for electric vehicles as it seeks to mitigate a tax rise that’s expected to target the cars, according to a spokesperson.

Bessent says inflation due to services economy, not tariffsTreasury secretary says Republicans should end filibuster in event of another shutdownBessent says administration working to lower prices where it canTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said the 43-day government shutdown caused an $11bn permanent hit to the US economy, but he was optimistic about growth prospects next year given easing interest rates and tax cuts.Bessent told NBC's "Meet the Press" program that parts of the US economy that are sensitive to interest rates, including housing, had been in recession, but he did not see the entire economy at risk of negative growth. He blamed the services economy, not US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, for inflation - repeating the Trump administration's longstanding mantra - and added that he expected lower energy prices to drive down prices more broadly. "I am very, very optimistic on 2026.We have set the table for a very strong, non-inflationary growth economy," he said. Bessent cited positive data for October, including a drop in energy prices and higher home sales, and said the administration was working hard to bring down inflation.The Treasury secretary noted that inflation was 0.5% higher in Democratic-controlled states than those run by Republicans, attributing the difference to increased regulation. Last week's moves to cut tariffs on food imports like bananas and coffee were the result of trade deals that had been negotiated for months, Bessent said, adding, "Inflation is a composite number and we look at everything.So we are trying to push down the things we can control". Trump on Wednesday signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in US history that extends funding through January 30, setting the stage for another showdown between Democrats and Trump's Republicans next year.Bessent said Republicans should immediately vote to end the filibuster if Democrats closed the government again, something Trump has also demanded, but dodged a question on whether there were enough votes to do so.Bessent said policy changes that cap taxes on overtime, cut taxes on tips and Social Security for some individuals, and make auto loans deductible would boost real income levels for working Americans and help offset higher costs.Taxpayers would see substantial federal tax refunds in the first quarter of 2026 given the changes in tax rates, he added. The Trump administration also planned an announcement this week at lowering health care costs, Bessent said, echoing similar remarks from a senior White House official last week, but giving no details.A rash of trade deals would also help boost the economy, Bessent said, predicting new plant openings across the country. 

The US government was set to take the first tentative steps towards re-opening Thursday after President Donald Trump signed a bill to end the longest federal shutdown in US history.The 43-day funding freeze had paralysed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid while Republicans and Democrats played a high-stakes blame game.The Republican-led House of Representatives voted on Wednesday, largely along party lines, to approve a Senate-passed package that will reopen federal departments and agencies, as many Democrats fume over what they see as a capitulation by party leaders.Trump lashed out at Democrats as he put his signature to the bill later in the Oval Office, urging Americans to remember the chaos when voting in hotly contested US midterm elections in a year's time."Today we are sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion," said Trump, surrounded by gleeful Republican lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson.Johnson had earlier pointed the finger at the minority party in a withering floor speech before the vote."When we come up to midterms and other things, don't forget what they've done to our country," Trump said. "So with my signature, the federal government... will now resume normal operations."The package funds military construction, veterans' affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and Congress itself through next fall, and the rest of government through the end of January when lawmakers will again need to reach a funding agreement.Around 670,000 furloughed civil servants will report back to work, and a similar number who were kept at their posts with no compensation — including more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security staff — will get back pay.Several federal agencies, including the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, told their staff to return to the office Thursday, according to US media.Travel delays looked set to improve but not disappear with almost 1,000 flights cancelled Thursday, according to tracking website FlightAware. Authorities said air traffic controller shortages were easing and the transportation secretary on Wednesday released a fresh order for six percent of flights to be frozen — lower than the eight to 10 percent expected under the previous emergency directive.The deal also restores federal workers fired by Trump during the shutdown, while air travel that has been disrupted across the country will gradually return to normal.Trump falsely accused Democrats of costing the country $1.5tn. While the full financial toll of the shutdown has yet to be determined, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it has caused $14bn in lost growth.Johnson and his Republicans had almost no room for error as their majority is down to two votes.Democratic leadership — furious over what they see as their Senate colleagues folding — had urged members to vote no and all but a handful held the line.Although polling showed the public mostly on Democrats' side throughout the standoff, Republicans are widely seen as having done better from its conclusion.For more than five weeks, Democrats held firm on refusing to reopen the government unless Trump agreed to extend pandemic-era tax credits that made health insurance affordable for millions of Americans.Election victories in multiple states last week gave Democrats further encouragement and a renewed sense of purpose.But a group of eight Senate moderates broke ranks to cut a deal with Republicans that offers a vote in the upper chamber on health care subsidies — but no floor time in the House and no guarantee of action.Democrats are now deep in a painful reckoning over how their tough stance crumbled without any notable win.Democratic leadership is arguing that — while their health care demands went largely unheard — they were able to shine the spotlight on an issue they hope will power them to victory in the 2026 midterm elections."Over the last several weeks, we have elevated successfully the issue of the Republican health care crisis, and we're not backing away from it," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC.But his Senate counterpart Chuck Schumer is facing a backlash from the fractious progressive base for failing to keep his members unified, with a handful of House Democrats calling for his head.Outside Washington, some of the party's hottest prospects for the 2028 presidential nomination added their own voices to the chorus of opprobrium.California Governor Gavin Newsom called the agreement "pathetic," while his Illinois counterpart JB Pritzker said it amounted to an "empty promise." Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg called it a "bad deal."

The longest-ever US government shutdown appeared headed Monday to an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash.Since October 1, the first day of the shutdown, more than a million federal workers have been unpaid, while government benefits and services have been increasingly disrupted.Severe impacts on air traffic have begun to mount in recent days, with hundreds of flights canceled daily, raising the political pressure to end the stalemate.After clearing a key procedural hurdle late Sunday, the Senate was expected to pass the compromise budget late Monday or overnight.The bill will then move to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which could vote on it as early as Wednesday to send it to President Donald Trump's desk."It appears to us this morning that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end, and we're grateful for that," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday morning."At least some Democrats now finally appear ready to do what Republicans and President Trump and millions of hardworking American people have been asking them to do for weeks."The House -- which Johnson has kept out of session throughout the standoff -- would be called back this week, he said.At the heart of the budgetary impasse is Democrats' demand to extend health insurance subsidies expiring at the end of the year. Republicans insist any negotiation occur after the government is re-opened.Millions of Americans who have purchased health insurance through the "Obamacare" programme would see their costs double if the subsidies are not extended.Sunday's breakthrough agreement would re-open the government through January, with some programmes funded for the full fiscal year, and reverse some of the Trump administration's firings of federal workers.The bill notably would restore funding for the SNAP food aid programme, which helps more than 42mn lower-income Americans pay for groceries.While Republican leadership has agreed to hold an eventual vote on healthcare, it does not ensure the insurance subsidies will be extended."After 40 days of uncertainty, I'm profoundly glad to be able to announce that nutrition programmes, our veterans, and other critical priorities will have their full-year funding," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday night.While leaders were rushing to move the bill through Congress, it could still take days to make its way to Trump's desk. Tuesday is a national holiday in the United States.Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of eight Democratic Caucus members who backed the measure, said the Senate "took a big step forward towards protecting the health care of tens of millions of Americans."She said the agreement would grant Democrats, despite being in the minority, the power to call a vote on healthcare legislation.However, with the extension of the subsidies not guaranteed, the move has angered party members who preferred to keep holding out."Pathetic," wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom on X in reaction to the announced agreement.Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer voted against the measure, saying he could "not in good faith" support a measure "that fails to address the health care crisis.""This fight will and must continue," he vowed.Some lawmakers criticised Schumer himself for failing to keep the Democrats united."Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership," Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton said Sunday in a post on X.

US officials said the scheduled capacity for flights was being cut by 10% in 40 busy air traffic areas nationwide today, as the longest government shutdown drags on.Federal agencies have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, with some 1.4mn federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, still on enforced leave or working without pay."There is going to be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a White House news briefing on Wednesday, adding they would come into effect on Friday.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford said the cuts would be at "40 high traffic environment markets."According to a proposed list provided to CBS News, some of the nation's busiest airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City could be among those hit.AFP contacted the Department of Transport and FAA seeking details about which airports would be affected.The government shutdown became the longest in history on Wednesday, eclipsing the 35-day record set during President Donald Trump's first term.Airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay — which led to significant delays — was a major factor in Trump bringing an end to that 2019 shutdown.More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers are now working without pay, and the White House has warned that increased absenteeism could create chaos at check-in lines.House Speaker Mike Johnson said in late October that 5% of flight delays had been the result of staffing shortages but that number had now increased to more than 50%.He warned at the time that the "longer the shutdown goes on, and as fewer air traffic controllers show up to work, the safety of the American people is thrown further into jeopardy."However, Democrats and Republicans have both remained unwavering over the main sticking point in the shutdown: health care spending.Democrats say they will only provide votes to end the funding lapse after a deal has been struck to extend expiring insurance subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans.But Republicans insist they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to switch the lights back on in Washington.Trump has sought to apply his own pressure to force Democrats to cave by threatening mass layoffs of federal workers and using the shutdown to target progressive priorities.He repeated on Tuesday his administration's threat to cut off a vital aid program that helps 42mn Americans pay for groceries for the first time in its more than 60-year history, even though the move was blocked by two courts.The White House later clarified that it was "fully complying" with its legal obligations and was working to get partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments "out the door as much as we can and as quickly as we can."

The US dollar climbed to a two-month-high in early Asian trading on Wednesday, as mounting risks surrounding the US government shutdown stoked investor anxiety and lifted demand for safe-haven assets. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six major peers, rose 0.3% to 98.91, its strongest level since August 5. The New Zealand dollar weakened as much as 1% to $0.5739 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand unexpectedly cut interest rates by 50 basis points, signaling the possibility of further monetary easing amid worsening economic indicators. The Australian dollar slipped 0.4% to $0.6559, while the dollar strengthened 0.4% against the yen to 152.54, hovering near its highest level since February. Meanwhile, the euro declined 0.3% to $1.1618 and the British pound fell 0.2% to $1.3395. The offshore Chinese yuan eased 0.1% from the previous session to 7.1506 per dollar.

The dollar sank to a one-week low versus major peers on Wednesday as the US government entered a shutdown that is likely to delay the release of crucial jobs data. The dollar index, which gauges the currency against six counterparts including the euro and yen, declined 0.2% to 97.635, and earlier dipped to 97.584 for the first time since last Wednesday. The euro rose as much as 0.3% to $1.1767, the highest since September 24. The dollar slipped 0.3% to touch 147.46 for the first time since September 19, adding to a three-day, 1.2% slide.

Gold prices rose further to hit a fresh high on Tuesday and were poised for their best month in 14 years, as fears of a potential US government shutdown and growing expectations of further US interest rate cuts boosted demand for the safe-haven metal. Spot gold was up 1% at $3,869.75 per ounce. Bullion has risen 11.4% so far in September, on track for its best month since August 2011. US gold futures for December delivery gained 0.4% to $3,872. Spot silver was steady at $46.95 per ounce, platinum eased 0.2% to $1,597.58, and palladium fell 0.8% to $1,259.02.