Over 4,300 US flights delayed as air traffic controller absences surge during government shutdown, with workers missing paychecks.
WASHINGTON: Air travel chaos intensified with more than 4,300 flights delayed nationwide on Monday following over 8,800 delays on Sunday.
Air traffic controller absences surged as the federal government shutdown reached its 27th day.
The Federal Aviation Administration cited staffing shortages affecting flights across the Southeast and at Newark Airport in New Jersey.
The agency imposed a ground stop at Austin Airport in Texas and a ground delay program at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
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Flights at Dallas Fort Worth were delayed by an average of 18 minutes due to the program.
Southwest Airlines had 47% of its flights delayed on Sunday, representing 2,089 individual flight delays.
American Airlines experienced 1,277 flight delays, which accounted for 36% of its Sunday operations.
United Airlines reported 27% of its flights delayed, equating to 807 delays, while Delta Air Lines had 21% delayed, or 725 flights.
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Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work without pay during the shutdown.
The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.
On Monday, Southwest had 24% of flights delayed, American Airlines had 18% delayed, and Delta had 13% delayed as of 5:00 p.m. ET.
A U.S. Department of Transportation official revealed that 44% of Sunday’s delays stemmed from controller absences.
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This figure represents a sharp increase from the usual 5% of delays caused by controller absences.
The mounting delays and cancellations are fueling public frustration and intensifying scrutiny of the shutdown’s impact.
This situation raises pressure on lawmakers to resolve the budget impasse causing the government shutdown.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was in Cleveland meeting with controllers on Monday.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union plans events at numerous airports on Tuesday.
These events will highlight the first missed paycheck for air traffic controllers during the shutdown.
The FAA is approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels.
Many controllers had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown began.
During the 2019 35-day shutdown, absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks.
That previous shutdown extended wait times at some airport checkpoints and forced authorities to slow air traffic in New York and Washington. – Reuters
