Flight delays are piling up here
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday night that air traffic control staffing issues were delaying travel at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark, as the U.S. government shutdown entered its 19th day.
The FAA said numerous requests for night shift staff had been received and that flights could also be delayed in Las Vegas and Phoenix due to air traffic control absences.
FlightAware said more than 5,800 flights had been delayed by Sunday. Weather issues and a Formula 1 race in Austin also affected flights.
According to FlightAware, more than 20% of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines flights were delayed on Sunday.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents must work during the government shutdown, but they are not paid.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
Earlier this month, more than 23,000 flights were delayed in a week and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said 53% of flight delays were due to staffing issues, compared to the normal 5%, but staffing issues have greatly improved over the past week.
Air traffic control has become a flashpoint in the shutdown debate, with both sides blaming each other. Unions and airlines have urged a quick end to the standoff.
The Trump administration is airing videos at some airport security checkpoints blaming Democrats, but many airports have refused to operate them.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of no-shows for TSA screeners and agents increased as workers did not receive their paychecks, extending wait times at checkpoints at some airports. Authorities were forced to reduce air traffic in New York and Washington, putting pressure on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff.
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The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of projected staffing levels, and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Kim Coghill and Diane Craft)