The federal government is open again, but Utah’s air travel may remain snarled for the foreseeable future.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Nov. 12 that flight reductions will stay in place at 6% as the Federal Aviation Administration continues to monitor national staffing levels. The same goes for air travel in Salt Lake City.

“The Department of Transportation has indicated that they don’t have all of the air traffic control workers back, and so it will take some time before they are back in the saddle,” said Salt Lake City International Airport Communications Director Nancy Volmer. “It takes time to get these flight schedules back to normal.”

Volmer said the airport has not had any additional conversations with the FAA about how long flight reductions will be in place.

Even before the longest government shutdown in history, there was already a shortage of air traffic controllers. It’s something that’s felt across the airline industry.

The FAA faces a shortage of roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers. The shutdown did not make the situation any easier, with no pay, pressure from President Donald Trump and the ordered flight reductions. The country’s biggest travel hubs, including Salt Lake, felt it. But what about the smaller municipal and regional airports?

“There’s a lot of airports that would love to have [air traffic control] because it does increase your safety,” said Travis Biggs, president of the Utah Airport Operators Association and manager of the Heber Valley Airport.

Outside of SLC International, Biggs said the need for additional controllers is most acute at a place like Spanish Fork, a busy municipal airport without a dedicated control tower. An abundance of flight schools and proximity to a larger airport in Provo with commercial flights mean a crowded airspace.

“There’s just a lot of planes in the pattern,” he said. “In that congestion, that’s where your likelihood of having an incident or an accident or something like that between aircraft could happen.”

It’s something a new program at Utah State University in Logan is trying to address. Here in the classroom, students look like they’re parked in front of a complicated video game, but it’s actually part of the school’s air traffic control minor.

“I haven’t had to sell it,” said assistant professor and former air traffic controller Aaron Whittle in a video from the school. “The students just love it.”

Now in its second year, students use the simulator to learn what it takes to make sure aircraft get to where they’re headed safely.

“[The controller shortage has] been that way for years, and so we’re trying to stand where we are and make a difference from where we’re at,” Whittle said. “We’ve had four individuals get accepted by the FAA that are currently in the process of becoming air traffic controllers.”

Whittle said the goal of the program is not solely to develop new talent — the FAA has strict standards and oversees the hiring and training for those jobs — but he’s been encouraged by how students have gravitated toward the classes. Overall, more than 160 students have participated since it was first offered last fall.

An aviation student in the university’s video, Jacob Ivie, admitted his goal was to fly for an airline after graduation, but he saw the value of the experience gained in the simulator.

“It shows you all the opportunities that are out there in aviation beyond just flying the planes,” he said in the video. “It might help change a couple people’s minds and make some new controllers.”

The simulator provides students with an environment where they can practice the complex procedures and phraseology necessary in aviation without the added stress and risk of a real-world scenario.

USU’s program isn’t sending fully fledged controllers out into the world, but it is, at least, a first step to exposing students to a possible career.

Becoming an air traffic controller is a long and arduous process, according to the FAA. There’s a lengthy list of medical requirements and security clearances to meet to be considered for training, including being younger than 31 years old. Even then, less than 10% of applicants are accepted into the program. After completing the initial courses, applicants can expect 2-3 more years of education before they become certified air traffic controllers.

SALT LAKE CITY — The latest version of Utah’s traction laws may upset people looking to enjoy Big and Little Cottonwood canyons before a storm even hits the area.

With the newest update to the law being implemented by the Utah Department of Transportation, officials are now able to enforce traction requirements up to 24 hours before a storm front moves in.

UDOT says the update, which came through legislation passed earlier this year, allows drivers to “prepare before snow starts falling.” The revised law also requires vehicles in the canyons to have at least 5/32 inch of tire tread, and allows for “stricter enforcement” during storms.

The new version enables law enforcement agencies to issue citations for those who violate the traction law.

“Our new, enhanced traction requirements are all about safety,” UDOT Region Two Director Robert Stewart said. “These updates make sure drivers have the right equipment before heading into the canyons, even if a storm rolls in while they’re parked. We hope this gives everyone more peace of mind knowing they, and the drivers around them, are ready for winter conditions.”

Traction law enforcement is handled by the Cottonwood Heights and Sandy City police departments, with additional support from the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office for roadside and parking enforcement.

UDOT is working to help drivers prepare, offering the free Cottonwood Canyons Sticker Program, which provides voluntary winter tire inspections at more than 140 tire shops. Those inspections run from November 13 to February 28.

The sticker program is free and voluntary, and the stickers are not required to drive in Big or Little Cottonwood Canyon. The stickers work to show that a vehicle has proper traction devices for traveling in the canyons when the Traction Law is in effect.

“It takes all of us working together to keep our canyons safe,” Stewart said. “Winter recreation is a Utah tradition we all value. A little preparation now means more time enjoying the mountains, and less time worrying about safety or compliance.”

According to UDOT, since launching the sticker program in 2021, 86% of participants say they noticed more vehicles in the canyon that are properly equipped for winter.

Drivers are also encouraged to plan ahead, slow down, and consider using transit to reach ski resorts. Real-time updates on canyon conditions are available through the UDOT website.

SALT LAKE CITY — As the calendar nears December, the National Retail Federation predicts holiday sales will surpass the one trillion dollar mark for the first time. But how does that add up when, at the same time, officials claim consumer confidence is in bad shape?

“This is kind of the disconnect that we’re seeing in the economy right now,” explained Zions Bank senior economist Robert Spendlove.

According to Spendlove, a trillion dollars in holiday sales would be a 4 percent increase over last year’s numbers. It would be an increase despite the federation sharing numbers that show consumer confidence hasn’t been this low in 50 years.

“That’s both at the national level and at our state level. And I hear this when I talk to people that they just don’t feel great about the economy, but they continue to spend,” said Spendlove.

That’s just the news Amanda Stewart wants to hear as owner of Mochi Kids in the 9th and 9th shopping district. Her store features a children’s clothing line, along with toys and gifts from all over the world.

“Holiday shopping is so crucial. We’ll sell probably, like, three times more during the holidays than we do during a normal month,” Stewart said.

Amanda has sensed the lack of confidence in the economy and seen an increase in wholesale prices due to tariffs, forcing her to make adjustments so she doesn’t price out her clientele.

“We’ve experienced probably about 10% price increase across the board compared to last year, and so we’ve definitely had to change how we buy,” Stewart said. “We purchased things that are a little less expensive, knowing that some people, you know, who are spending more on groceries will have less of a budget to spend on toys this year.”

Nonetheless, both the experts and those on the front lines, like Stewart, anticipate brisk sales once the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear later this month.

“Even though consumers don’t feel good about inflation, they don’t feel good about the government shutdown, they’re nervous about tariffs, we expect that in this holiday season, consumers will be spending about $890,” Spendlove said.

“It’s not surprising to me,” added Stewart. “I think people want to have a magical experience for their families, no matter what the economic circumstances are. I think that’s just part of our culture here in the U.S.”