CHAOS at US Airports: Government Shutdown hits Day 27, CRIPPLING air traffic with nearly 7,000 FLIGHT DELAYS
CHAOS at US Airports: Air traffic controller absenteeism increased as the federal government shutdown entered its 27th day, and almost 7,000 aircraft countrywide experienced delays on Monday, further escalating the unrest in U.S. aviation.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration implemented ground delay programs at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Austin Airport in Texas, and Newark Airport in New Jersey, citing manpower shortages. Due to severe personnel shortages at the Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control, flights throughout the southeast had an early delay.
US Airports go unpaid
After a budget standoff between Republican President Donald Trump and legislative Democrats sparked the shutdown, some 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents are forced to work without pay.
As controllers miss their first full payment on Tuesday, the Trump administration has warned that there would be further flight problems.
On Sunday, about 8,800 planes had delays
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, American Airlines (AAL.O) had 1,277, or 36%, of its flights delayed on Sunday, while Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab, had 47%, or 2,089, of its flights delayed. 27%, or 807, of United Airlines’ (UAL.O) and Delta Air Lines’ (DAL.N) flights were delayed when the new tab opened, while 21%, or 725, of their flights were delayed.
At 11:30 p.m. ET (0330 GMT) on Monday, FlightAware reported that 34% of Southwest’s flights were delayed, 29% by American, 22% by Delta, and 19% by United Airlines.
According to a U.S. Department of Transportation official, controller absenteeism accounted for 44% of Sunday’s delays, a significant increase from the typical 5%.
Legislators are under more pressure to end the closure as a result of the growing public annoyance and more scrutiny of its effects caused by the many cancellations and delays.
While the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union organizes protests at many airports on Tuesday to draw attention to the first missing payment, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy met with controllers in Cleveland on Monday.
Approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers are needed to meet the FAA’s staffing targets, and many of them were already working six-day weeks and required overtime prior to the shutdown.
Wait times at some airport checkpoints increased in 2019 during a 35-day closure due to an increase in controller and TSA officer absenteeism as employees missed wages. Air travel in Washington and New York had to be slowed by authorities.