Air Traffic Controller Shortages Affect Nearly Half of Major US Airports

Air traffic controller shortages at nearly 50 percent of the nation’s 30 most congested airports have exacerbated commercial airline delays nationwide, with officials warning that it could be a foreboding sign of the coming holiday season.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated on Friday that staffing shortfalls are widespread, as a federal government shutdown hit its 31st day.

The busy skies above New York were the epicenter of delays, with 80 percent of controllers absent. Airports in Austin, Newark, and Nashville also struggled with operational issues, resulting in average delays of 61 minutes in Nashville, 50 minutes in Austin, and 101 minutes in Newark.

By early afternoon Eastern Time, the aviation analytics platform FlightAware showed more than 2,200 delayed flights and 300 cancellations nationwide, a continuation of Thursday’s turmoil, when over 7,300 delays and 1,250 cancellations affected travelers at hubs such as Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Washington, D.C. The delays followed 5,600 delays on Oct. 27 and hours-long holdups on Oct. 26.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted further tumult, warning on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” that the weekend and next week could bring more of the same.

“Coming into this weekend and then the week after, I think you are going to see even more disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said.

“If you’re delayed, if you’re cancelled, there is really only one mission that you have: call [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer, and call your Senator, and tell them to open up the government,” he said.

The federal government shutdown has compelled 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay, exacerbating pre-existing deficiencies. The FAA is currently 3,500 controllers short of ideal levels, with many working mandatory overtime and six-day shifts even before the government shutdown.

Delta, United, Southwest, and American have urged Congress to create an interim funding measure, highlighting air safety issues.

Meanwhile, controllers have sought public donations, and Vice President JD Vance cautioned that holiday travel could be a “disaster” if the government is not reopened.

National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said Tuesday that many air traffic controllers have temporarily taken on second jobs, citing living expenses such as housing, child care, food, and gas as their primary concerns. That number will increase the longer the shutdown continues, he said.

Duffy said during the press conference at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday that he has found no funding option to pay traffic controllers before the government reopens.

“I’ve looked at the [Federal Aviation Administration] FAA budget to see if we could find resources to pay air controllers and it becomes really challenging in a shutdown to make that happen,” Duffy said.

“You saw a donor give $130 million to pay our military men and women. There’s not a lot of leeway that we have to get people paid. The answer is [to] open up the government.”

An anonymous donor gave $130 million to the Department of War to help pay military personnel, President Donald Trump said on Oct. 23.

The government has been shut down for 31 days, as efforts to resolve the impasse have failed. The Senate again rejected a Republican-backed stopgap funding measure on Oct. 28, which failed to secure the 60 votes required for passage.

Senate Republicans urged Democrats to support the measure, but Democrats demanded negotiations to extend expiring federal health care subsidies before doing so.

Aldgra Fredly and Reuters contributed to this report.