*

Planned flight cuts of 8% on Thursday trimmed to 6%

*

US government shutdown expected to end late on Wednesday

*

Normal operations could hopefully resume in a few days,

Southwest ( LUV ) executive says

(Recasts with update on flight cuts from FAA, adds details of

senate hearing)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - The Trump administration

late on Wednesday froze government-imposed flight cuts at 40

major airports at 6% after air traffic control absences fell

sharply, hours ahead of an expected end to the record-long U.S.

government shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered 8%

cuts for Thursday and 10% for Friday, affecting only domestic

flights. But it opted to ease those cancellations after

disruptions due to air traffic control absences declined

dramatically in recent days as the chances of a government

reopening rose after a Senate compromise.

"The 6% hold will remain in place as the FAA continues to

assess whether the system can gradually return to normal

operations," the agency said.

U.S. airlines canceled 900 flights on Wednesday - the fewest

in six days - under the FAA's 6% requirement, according to

FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

Air traffic control absences accounted for just 1% of delays

on Tuesday, compared with 5% on average before the shutdown, the

FAA said.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of

targeted staffing levels. Many had been working mandatory

overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown led to them

working without pay.

Before the government trimmed the cuts planned for

Thursday, several airlines had only canceled around 6% of

flights as they expected a reduction of that level rather than

the originally planned 8%, Reuters reported earlier.

"If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are

moving in the right direction, we'll put forward a path to

resume normal operation," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

said in a statement on Wednesday.

Airlines are still hopeful the cuts will be reduced over

the weekend.

"Once the shutdown ends, we're optimistic that the FAA will

allow airlines to resume normal operations within a few days,"

Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) Chief Operating Officer Andrew

Watterson told employees in a note.

DELAYS REDUCED SHARPLY

Flight operations are improving dramatically, with just 2,000

delays on Wednesday compared with 4,000 on Tuesday and nearly

10,000 on Monday, according to FlightAware.

Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC he thinks

the aviation system will be largely back to normal this weekend,

but said the recent cancellations will cost airlines and the

economy a significant amount.

Air traffic absences have led to tens of thousands of flight

cancellations and delays since October 1, when the 43-day

shutdown began. Last weekend, 1.2 million passengers were

delayed or had flights canceled due to air traffic controller

absences.

Some were absent because they needed to work second jobs

or could not afford child care.

Duffy said air traffic controllers will get a lump sum

payment equal to 70% of their back pay within 48 hours of the

shutdown ending.

A U.S. Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing next

Wednesday on the impact of the shutdown on aviation safety.