In brief
As the U.S. government shutdown extends into a second month, significant flight delays have emerged at key airports nationwide, including Newark, where delays reach two to three hours. Passengers flying to, from, or through New York are particularly impacted, with expectations of schedule changes and missed connections. While the FAA contends with a shortage of approximately 3,000 air traffic controllers, nearly 13,000 are currently working without pay, raising concerns over safety and efficiency in air travel. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that the situation could worsen without immediate resolution, urging support for air traffic controllers amid their financial struggles.
Flight delays continued at U.S. airports Sunday amid air traffic controller shortages as the government shutdown entered its second month, with Newark airport in New Jersey experiencing delays of two to three hours.
New York City’s Emergency Management office warned that Newark delays often ripple out to the region’s other airports. Travelers flying to, from, or through New York “should expect schedule changes, gate holds, and missed connections. Anyone flying today should check flight status before heading to the airport and expect longer waits,” the social media post added.
Other major airports including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, Dallas Fort Worth International, and Chicago O’Hare reported dozens of delays and cancellations, along with airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami, according to FlightAware.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has raised alarms that travelers will face more flight disruptions if air traffic controllers remain unpaid. He remarked, “We work overtime to make sure the system is safe. And we will slow traffic down, you’ll see delays, we’ll have flights canceled to ensure safety,” during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Duffy stated that he does not intend to fire air traffic controllers who do not report to work due to the profound financial pressure they are under, acknowledging that their decisions are connected to feeding their families. Earlier in October, he had warned air traffic controllers calling in sick during the shutdown of potential job risks. A small number not showing up can deeply affect operations as the FAA is already short by about 3,000 controllers.
As of now, nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks. Despite these staffing shortages, they haven't always led to widespread flight disruptions; many major U.S. airports showed strong on-time performances during October. However, ongoing issues require urgent attention to avoid further complications in air travel.
