Thousands of US flights delayed as shutdown bites
More than 8,000 flights have been delayed across the U.S. as the absence of an air traffic controller continues to disrupt travel and the federal government shutdown reaches its 26th day.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration experienced air traffic control personnel problems at 22 locations on Saturday.
Additional shortages are expected to lead to more flight delays and cancellations in the coming days, he said.
According to flight tracking site FlightAware, by 23:00 on Sunday (04:00 GMT on Monday), there were more than 8,000 flight delays in the US; that figure is up from about 5,300 on Saturday.
Delays have generally been above average since the government shutdown began Oct. 1.
According to FlightAware, 45 percent of Southwest Airlines’ 2,000 flights were delayed, while almost 1,200 of American Airlines’ flights, or one-third, were delayed.
While 24 percent of United Airlines’ 739 flights were delayed, Delta Air Lines’ 610 flights were delayed, or 17 percent.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work despite not being paid during the shutdown.
Rising air travel delays and cancellations are being closely watched as observers look for signs that the shutdown is making life harder for Americans.
That could put pressure on lawmakers to overcome the budget impasse that led to the shutdown.
Speaking to Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures program, Duffy said Saturday that the FAA had 22 “triggers” indicating the shortage of air traffic controllers.
He said the figure was “one of the highest we’ve seen in the system” since Oct. 1.
“This is a sign that the controllers are weakened,” Duffy said.
The FAA said ground delay schedules were issued Sunday at Chicago O’Hare Airport, Washington Reagan National Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport due to staffing shortages.
An earlier ground stop was made at Los Angeles International Airport, but this was later withdrawn.
The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.
Air traffic controllers received a paycheck for 90 percent of their regular salary two weeks ago.
But Tuesday’s payday would only be the first pay period for the October job.
Controllers in danger of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said.
“They’re getting second jobs. They’re looking outside,” he said.
At the FAA, about 3,500 air traffic controllers are short of target staffing numbers, and many were working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers increased as workers missed paychecks and wait times at some airport checkpoints increased.
Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington.
Duffy and other Republicans criticized Democrats for opposing a “clean” short-term funding bill with no strings attached.
Democrats have criticized President Donald Trump and Republicans for refusing to negotiate on health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
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