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Investment firm Gerber Kawasaki's co-founder, Ross Gerber, thinks the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) restrictions on private planes may have had a hand in the recent bipartisan agreement to end the government shutdown. Private Plane Restrictions Could Have Played A Role Taking to the social media platform X on Tuesday, the investor shared his thoughts on the government shutdown affecting air travel. "Looks like the end of private plane flights did get the government to find a way to end the shutdown," Gerber said in the post. He also expressed hope that things could get better, but warned that the Thanksgiving travel could get "messy." Gerber had earlier raised concerns about air traffic controllers not receiving paychecks during the shutdown ahead of Thanksgiving. Private Aviation Boomed In October The New York Times, in a report on Tuesday, said that Business aviation boomed during the government shutdown in October, which also saw the FAA announcing flight reductions at 40 major airports in the U.S. Domestic private jets recorded 245,000 departures in October, a 5% YoY increase from 2024, the report showed, with Florida, Texas, and California making up for 30% of the total demand. The report also said that private airports like Van Nuys Airport in California are seeing no operational cuts, despite private aviation hubs like Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, required to reduce operations following an FAA decision, which signaled that private aviation could be reduced by up to 10%, the report said. The FAA also announced restrictions on private jets at 12 major airports in the U.S. on Monday; the airports include O'Hare International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth, JFK International, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, among others. Data cited in the report by Flexjet, a private aviation company, said that flying hours for private jets increased by 20% YoY last month. That number increased 42% YoY in November. Sean Duffy Backs Trump's $10K Bonus, Urges ATCs To Return Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, meanwhile, backed President Donald Trump's proposed $10,000 reward for air traffic controllers who worked despite receiving no paychecks due to the shutdown. Duffy urged the ATCs to return to work, assuring them that they would receive 70% of their paychecks within 24-48 hours of the reopening of the government. "I encourage all of them to come to work," Duffy said. Pete Buttigieg Slams Trump, Robert Isom Calls On Government To End Shutdown Meanwhile, Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg slammed the Trump administration for "picking a fight" with the air traffic controllers amid the shutdown. He accused Trump of trying to divert attention away from rising health insurance costs. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) CEO Robert Isom, on the other hand, called on the government to put an end to the shutdown. "We've got to get the government back open so we don't have to cancel flights," Isom said as the airline canceled over 220 of its 6,200 scheduled flights last week. Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Read Next: As Lawmakers Advance Plan To End Historic 41-Day Government Shutdown, Here's How Air Travel Could Recover Image via Shutterstock
