More than 8,000 flights were delayed in the United States last Sunday, the 26th, amid the federal government shutdown, due to the absence of air traffic controllers. The information comes from the Reuters news agency, which cites the flight tracking website FlightAware. The number was recorded until 11pm on Sunday ET, representing an increase from the approximately 5,300 delayed flights on Saturday the 25th.
The United States has been facing a “shutdown”, a partial shutdown of federal government activities, since October 1st, after Congress failed to reach an agreement to approve a provisional solution that would finance the administration in the short term.
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began. As a result, airports across the United States have experienced significant delays and canceled flights due to staffing shortages. The impact intensifies because before the shutdown there was already a demand for more controllers.
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted over the weekend that passengers will see more flights delayed and canceled in the coming days due to the lack of pay for the nation’s air traffic controllers during the federal government shutdown.
In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as financial worries add to the stress of an already challenging job. “Just yesterday, we had 22 layoffs. That’s one of the highest numbers we’ve seen in the system since the shutdown began. And that’s a sign that controllers are running out,” he said.
Also on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said flights to Los Angeles International Airport were briefly halted due to a lack of staff at an air traffic facility in Southern California. The government agency also reported delays related to staffing shortages in Chicago, Washington and Newark, New Jersey.
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The FAA said planes bound for Los Angeles were detained at their home airports as of 11:42 a.m. ET, and the agency lifted the ground stop at 1:30 p.m. The hold did not appear to cause ongoing problems at LAX; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport saw a much higher share of late arrivals due to what the FAA said were weather and equipment issues.
An insufficient number of air traffic controllers per shift also caused disruptions to takeoffs and arrivals Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teteboro Airport in New Jersey, and at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers, Florida, according to the FAA.
On Sunday night, the FAA also reduced traffic at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport due to understaffed air traffic controllers.
*With information from Associated Press.
