More than 8,000 flights were delayed across the United States on Sunday as a shortage of air traffic controllers continued to disrupt travel amid the ongoing Federal Government shutdown, now in its 26th day.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration experienced staffing shortages at 22 air traffic control locations on Saturday, warning that more delays and cancellations were likely in the coming days, Reuters reported on Monday.
According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, there were more than 8,000 U.S. flight delays by 11 p.m. ET on Sunday (0500 WAT on Monday), an increase from about 5,300 on Saturday.
Delays have often been above average since the government shutdown began on October 1.
This situation is also adding pressure on lawmakers in Washington to resolve the budget impasse that triggered the shutdown, as the effects are now directly impacting millions of travelers and the broader economy.
Southwest Airlines had 45 per cent, or 2,000 flights, delayed on Sunday, while American Airlines had nearly 1,200, or a third of its flights, delayed. United Airlines had 24%, or 739 flights, delayed, and Delta Air Lines had 610 flights, or 17%, delayed, according to FlightAware.
Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work despite not being paid during the shutdown.
Increased air travel delays and cancellations are being closely watched as observers look for indications that the shutdown is making life harder for Americans. That, in turn, could pressure lawmakers to break the budget deadlock that led to the shutdown.
The FAA on Saturday had 22 “triggers” that indicated shortages of air traffic controllers, Duffy told the Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” program. He said the figure was “one of the highest that we’ve seen in the system” since October 1.
“That’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said.
The FAA said ground delay programs had been issued because of staffing shortages on Sunday at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Washington’s Reagan National Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport. An earlier ground stop was issued at Los Angeles International Airport, but that was later withdrawn.
A U.S. judge kept his block on President Donald Trump’s buyout plan for federal employees in place on Monday.
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 two weeks ago at 90% of their regular pay. But Tuesday’s payday would have been for their first pay period solely for work in October.
Controllers facing the prospect of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said.
“They’re taking second jobs, they’re out there looking,” he said.
The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks even before the shutdown.
