Air traffic control staffing shortages are leading to significant flight delays at major U.S. airports, including those in New York, Washington, Newark, and Houston, as the federal government shutdown enters its 23rd day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported staffing issues at 10 different locations, and ground stops were issued at Houston Bush Intercontinental and Newark airports. Delays at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are averaging 31 minutes, while New York LaGuardia Airport is experiencing average delays of 62 minutes.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are required to work without pay during the ongoing government shutdown. Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that over 4,200 U.S. flights were delayed, with more than 15% of flights at Reagan, Newark, and LaGuardia airports delayed, and 13% at Bush Intercontinental.
Federal officials have expressed concern that absenteeism among controllers may increase over the weekend, as workers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that there could be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations at major airports across the country during the upcoming holiday season.
The issue of air traffic control staffing has become a contentious point in the debate over the shutdown, with both Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the impasse. Unions and airlines have urged a swift resolution to the situation. In a similar scenario during a 35-day shutdown in 2019, the number of absences among controllers and TSA officers increased as workers missed paychecks, leading to extended checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington, which pressured lawmakers to end that standoff.
The FAA is currently about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of its targeted staffing levels, and many controllers had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
