Air traffic control staffing challenges are causing delays at airports in New York, Washington, Newark, and Houston due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, as per the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement on Thursday. The FAA highlighted staffing problems at 10 locations and implemented ground stops at Houston Bush and Newark airports. Delays at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were averaging 31 minutes, while New York LaGuardia was experiencing 62-minute delays.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are working without pay during the shutdown. FlightAware, a flight tracking platform, reported over 4,200 delayed U.S. flights on Thursday, with more than 15% of flights delayed at Reagan, Newark, and LaGuardia, and 13% at Bush.
Concerns are rising among federal officials about potential controller absences escalating over the weekend, as controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, expressed worries of substantial flight disruptions and cancellations during the upcoming holiday season.
The shutdown has sparked a heated debate, with Democrats disputing claims of responsibility and pointing fingers at U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republicans for their reluctance to engage in negotiations. The air traffic control issue has emerged as a central point of contention, with unions and airlines urging a swift resolution to the impasse.
In a previous 35-day shutdown in 2019, the number of absences among controllers and TSA officers surged as workers struggled without pay, leading to extended wait times at security checkpoints in some airports. This situation forced authorities to implement air traffic slowdowns in New York and Washington, prompting lawmakers to end the deadlock.
Even before the shutdown, the FAA faced a shortage of about 3,500 air traffic controllers, with many already working extensive mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.