Additional Coverage:
- Major US airports face ground stops and flight delays amid ongoing government shutdown (foxbusiness.com)
Airports Grapple with Delays as Government Shutdown Impacts Air Travel
Major airports across the United States experienced widespread ground stops and delays on Sunday, a direct consequence of the ongoing federal government shutdown. The disruptions highlight growing concerns about the impact on air travel safety and efficiency.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey faced a significant ground delay that extended into the early hours of Monday, with flights experiencing average delays of approximately 82 minutes. Simultaneously, Logan International Airport in Boston issued a ground stop due to a disabled aircraft on its runway, further exacerbating travel woes.
On the West Coast, a reported staffing shortage triggered a ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, also affecting Oakland International Airport.
While this particular ground stop was later lifted, the incident underscored the fragility of the air traffic control system amidst the current federal funding lapse. San Francisco International Airport also implemented a ground delay, averaging 44 minutes per flight, until the early morning hours of the following day.
Numerous other airports nationwide reported temporary flight delays on Sunday afternoon, typically ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. These included major hubs such as Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Denver International Airport, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, among others.
Reasons cited for these delays by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) included staffing shortages, adverse weather conditions, compacted demand, and various traffic management initiatives.
A request for comment from FOX Business to the FAA received an automatic reply stating, “Due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries.” The agency’s response also acknowledged system-wide staffing challenges, echoing comments from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who indicated that the FAA would slow traffic into certain airports when necessary to ensure safe operations.
Secretary Duffy, in an exclusive interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” revealed that the 26-day government shutdown has led to an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick or missing work as their paychecks remain suspended. He reiterated his commitment to prioritizing safety, stating, “My job is to keep the airspace safe. And so, if I don’t feel like I have enough controllers or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow down traffic, we will stop traffic.”