Lack of air traffic controllers hits almost half of major US airports

[WASHINGTON] Nearly 50 per cent of the 30 busiest US airports are grappling with shortages of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday (Oct 31), leading to flight delays nationwide as a federal government shutdown hit its 31st day.

The absence of controllers is by far the most widespread since the shutdown began, with one of the worst-hit regions being New York, where 80 per cent of air traffic controllers were out, the regulator said.

It delayed flights at airports in Austin, Newark and Nashville as air traffic control staffing problems snarl flights.

At least nine FAA facilities reported staffing problems earlier in the day, with the regulator saying it was likely to delay flights later at airports in the Houston and Dallas area.

Flight delays were averaging 61 minutes at Nashville, 50 minutes at Austin and 101 minutes at Newark.

By 12.30 am (Eastern Time), aviation tracking site FlightAware showed, 2,200 US flights had been delayed and 300 cancelled.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he expected more flight delays in the next few days.

“Coming into this weekend and then the week after, I think you are going to see even more disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”

On Thursday, air traffic control staffing shortages snarled flights at Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington, DC, when FlightAware data showed 7,300 flights delayed and 1,250 cancelled across the US.

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The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay.

Delta Air Lines, United, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have all called on Congress to quickly pass a stop-gap funding bill to let the government reopen amid talks on disputes over healthcare policy.

The shutdown has led to flight delays due to air traffic controller absences and affected thousands of flights, the Transportation Department said.

The shutdown began on Oct 1 and continued since as a federal funding bill has stalled in Congress.

Republican lawmakers want to pass a “clean” funding measure with no strings attached, while Democrats have demanded talks on extending health-care subsidies set to expire at year-end.

Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown, citing aviation safety risks.

The shutdown has exacerbated existing staffing shortages, threatening to cause widespread disruptions similar to those that helped end a 35-day government shutdown in 2019.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown. REUTERS