Air Traffic Controller Shortages Cause Widespread Flight Delays Amid Government Shutdown

Travel delays were adding up astatine airports crossed nan U.S. connected Friday arsenic nan authorities shutdown drags on, putting moreover much unit connected air postulation controllers who person been moving without pay for a month.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been informing that travelers will commencement to spot much formation disruptions nan longer controllers spell without a paycheck.

“Every time there’s going to beryllium much challenges,” Duffy told reporters Thursday extracurricular nan White House aft a closed-door gathering pinch Vice President JD Vance and aviation manufacture leaders to talk astir nan shutdown’s effect connected U.S. travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration connected Friday reported staffing shortages that were causing formation delays astatine a number of airports, including successful Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Nashville, Houston, Dallas and nan Washington, D.C. area. Airports serving nan New York City area — John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport — were besides experiencing delays averaging astir 2 hours, according to nan FAA.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy extracurricular nan White House connected Oct. 30.Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

“Currently astir 50 percent of awesome aerial postulation power accommodation are experiencing staffing shortages, and astir 90 percent of aerial postulation controllers are retired astatine New York–area facilities,” nan FAA said successful a connection posted connected X connected Friday evening.

Staffing shortages tin hap some successful location power centers that negociate aggregate airports and successful individual airdrome towers, but they don’t ever lead to formation disruptions. According to aviation analytics patient Cirium, formation information showed beardown on-time capacity astatine astir awesome U.S. airports for nan period of October contempt isolated staffing problems that surfaced passim nan month.

But Cirium said nan information besides showed a “broader slowdown” Thursday crossed nan nation’s aviation strategy for nan first clip since nan shutdown began connected Oct. 1, suggesting staffing-related disruptions whitethorn beryllium spreading.

According to Cirium, galore awesome U.S. airports connected Thursday saw below-average on-time performance, pinch less flights departing wrong 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times. Staffing-related delays astatine Orlando’s airdrome connected Thursday, for example, averaged astir 4 and a half hours for immoderate time. The information does not separate betwixt nan different causes of delays, specified arsenic staffing shortages aliases bad weather.

Last weekend, a shortage of controllers besides led to nan FAA issuing a little crushed extremity astatine Los Angeles International Airport, 1 of nan busiest successful nan world. Flights were held astatine their originating airports for astir 2 hours Sunday until nan FAA lifted nan crushed stop.

Most controllers are continuing to activity mandatory overtime six days a week during nan shutdown, nan National Air Traffic Controllers Association said. That leaves small clip for a broadside occupation to thief screen bills, owe payments and different expenses unless controllers telephone out.

Duffy said controllers are besides struggling to get to activity because they can’t spend to capable up their cars pinch gas. Controllers missed their first afloat paychecks connected Tuesday.

“For this nation’s aerial postulation controllers, missing conscionable 1 paycheck tin beryllium a important hardship, arsenic it is for each moving Americans. Asking them to spell without a afloat month’s salary aliases much is simply not sustainable,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said Friday successful a statement.

Some U.S. airports person stepped successful to supply food donations and different support for national aviation labor moving without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

Before nan shutdown, nan FAA was already dealing pinch a long-standing shortage of astir 3,000 aerial postulation controllers.