US government shutdown triggers 8,000 flight delays amid air traffic controller shortage

More than 8,000 flights were delayed across the United States on Sunday as the country grappled with a shortage of air traffic controllers amid the US government shutdown that has now stretched into its 26th day.

The absence of air traffic control staff at airports continues to disrupt travel, and officials expect more flight delays and cancellations in the days ahead.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported air traffic control staffing issues at 22 locations on Saturday. Duffy told Fox News that the figure was among the highest seen in the system since the federal government shutdown began on 1 October, adding, “The controllers are wearing thin.”

Impact of widespread staffing shortage

Certain US airports, such as Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Washington's Reagan National Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, implemented ground delay programmes on Sunday due to staffing shortages. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport earlier in the day on Sunday, but later lifted it, Reuters reported.

According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, operations at major airports were significantly disrupted. More than 8,000 US flights were delayed by 11 pm ET on Sunday (0400 GMT on Monday), an increase from about 5,300 a day before.

Southwest Airlines saw 45%, or 2,000 flight delays on Sunday, while American Airlines had nearly 1,200, or a third of its flights delayed, according to FlightAware. United Airlines had 24%, or 739 flight delays, and Delta Air Lines had 610 flights, or 17%, delayed on the same day.

Why is there a shortage of air traffic controllers?

The US government shutdown has directly impacted air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 TSA officers continue working without pay.

Observers are closely monitoring these increasing air travel delays and cancellations as indications that the shutdown is making life harder for Americans, which could increase pressure on lawmakers to break the budget deadlock that led to the shutdown.

Air traffic controllers received only 90% of their regular pay in their last paycheck two weeks ago. The Trump administration warned that flight disruptions will increase further when they miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Air traffic controllers are taking up other jobs

With the controllers facing the prospect of missing their next federal paycheck, some of them are reportedly looking for other sources of income. “They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking,” Duffy said.

The FAA is already about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, prompting many staff to work the mandatory overtime hours, along with a six-day work week, even before the shutdown.

A similar 35-day shutdown in 2019 saw an increased number of absences among controllers and TSA officers as workers missed paychecks, extending wait times at some airport checkpoints. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington, Reuters reported.

The political standoff centres on Republicans criticising Democrats for opposing a “clean” short-term funding bill with no strings attached. Democrats have also criticised President Donald Trump and Republicans for refusing to negotiate over health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.