Flights to Los Angeles Halted Amid Traffic Controller Shortage
The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that flights to Los Angeles International Airport were briefly suspended due to staffing shortages at the Southern California air traffic facility, and the agency also reported staffing delays in Chicago, Washington and Newark, New Jersey.
The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on the heels of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning travelers that more flights would be delayed and canceled in the coming days as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers are falling ill as money worries add to the stress of an already demanding job.
“Just yesterday, … there were 22 staffing triggers. That’s one of the highest rates we’ve seen in the system since the shutdown began. And it’s a sign that controllers are weakened,” he said.
The FAA said Los Angeles-bound planes were held at origin airports starting at 11:42 a.m. Eastern time, and the agency removed the ground stop at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.
The stoppage did not appear to cause ongoing problems at LAX; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport accounted for a much larger share of late arrivals, which the FAA attributed to weather and equipment issues, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Too few air traffic controllers per shift caused disruptions to departures and arrivals Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teteboro Airport in New Jersey and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers, Florida, according to the FAA.
On Sunday evening, the FAA also slowed traffic to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to traffic controller staffing.
