Air traffic control staffing challenges are causing travel delays at various airports in New York, Washington, Newark, and Houston, as confirmed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday amidst the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now in its 23rd day.
The FAA highlighted staffing issues at 10 different locations and implemented ground stops at Houston Bush and Newark airports. At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, flights were experiencing an average delay of 31 minutes, while New York LaGuardia was facing delays averaging 62 minutes.
Amid the shutdown, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are compelled to work without receiving their pay.
According to FlightAware, a flight tracking platform, more than 4,200 U.S. flights encountered delays on Thursday, with over 15% of flights at Reagan, Newark, and LaGuardia affected, along with 13% at Bush.
Federal officials are expressing concerns over potential increased absences by controllers over the upcoming weekend as they approach missing their first full paycheck next Tuesday.
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, expressed apprehension about the possibility of significant flight disruptions, delays, and cancellations during the holiday season at major airports across the nation.
The ongoing shutdown has triggered a contentious debate between Democrats and Republicans, with each side blaming the other. Air traffic control has emerged as a focal point in the discourse, drawing attention from unions and airlines advocating for a swift resolution to the standoff.
During a previous 35-day shutdown in 2019, the number of absences among controllers and TSA officers escalated due to missed paychecks, leading to extended checkpoint wait times at certain airports. This situation compelled authorities to reduce air traffic flow in New York and Washington, prompting lawmakers to end the standoff.
Even before the shutdown, the FAA faced a shortage of about 3,500 air traffic controllers compared to the desired staffing levels, with many controllers already working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.
