Blue Origin has launched its huge New Glenn rocket with a pair of NASA spacecraft destined for Mars. Thursday's successful liftoff from Florida is only the second flight of the rocket that Jeff Bezos' company and NASA are counting on to get people and supplies to the moon. The Mars orbiters will spend a year hanging around Earth before setting off for the red planet. They're due to arrive in 2027. The University of California, Berkeley runs the $80 million mission. The rocket's inaugural test flight earlier this year reached orbit, but failed to land the booster on a barge in the Atlantic. This time, Blue Origin recovered the booster on its floating platform.

Airlines are optimistic they can resume normal operations within a few days once the government lifts its order to cut some flights at 40 busy airports. It’s not clear how quickly that will happen even though the government shutdown is over. The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday night that airlines won’t have to cut more than 6% of flights at the affected airports because air traffic controller staffing has improved significantly. Originally the order called for flight cuts to increase to 8% Thursday and top out at 10% Friday. By late Thursday afternoon, only a little over 1,000 flights had been cancelled across the country.

In the fallout of the ongoing government shutdown, thousands of flights have been canceled and major airports are experiencing long delays. Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce flight schedules nationwide to ease pressure on the system. The agency says the cuts will help manage air traffic control staffing as more unpaid controllers have started calling out of work. The numbers show the shutdown's toll on air travel. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics says 1.9 million daily passengers typically use the 40 airports where airlines were required to cut flights by 4% at first, and now 6%.

Airlines have canceled over 9,000 flights across the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts late last week. The cuts aim to ease demands on short-staffed control towers during the federal government shutdown. On Tuesday, another 1,200 flights were canceled as the FAA increased its target for reducing flights at major airports. Flights are expected to remain disrupted even as the shutdown nears an end, and cancellations are unlikely to ease right away. The pace of airline ticket sales for Thanksgiving travel has slowed as more travelers have reconsidered whether to fly amid all the delays and cancellations.

Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to flights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled flights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 flights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air traffic controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday. President Donald Trump pressured controllers via social media, writing “get back to work, NOW!!!”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns that U.S. air traffic could slow significantly if the federal government shutdown continues into the Thanksgiving travel season. The Federal Aviation Administration has already ordered flight cuts at major airports. Some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped working. Reductions began Friday at 4% and could reach 10% by November 14. On Sunday, more than 1,700 flights were canceled. Duffy suggests further cuts might be needed, possibly up to 20%. He emphasizes the need for action to keep people safe amid an overtaxed system.

U.S. airlines have canceled more than 2,500 weekend flights mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic. The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports will head into its third day Sunday. So far there have not been any widespread disruptions. FlightAware reports that cancellations jumped Saturday to more than 1,500, following just over 1,000 the previous day. By Saturday evening airlines already had canceled another 1,000-plus Sunday flights.