air traffic controller shortage caused by More flights disrupted Controllers across the country were bracing Monday for the first full amount of missing paychecks during the federal government shutdown.
FAA report Delays related to staffing On Monday afternoon, the average flight time at Dallas Airport was about 20 minutes, and the average flight time at Newark Liberty International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was about 40 minutes. The delay in Austin occurred after a brief ground layover at the airport, meaning the flight will remain at the originating airport until the FAA cancels the layover at approximately 4:15 p.m. local time.
The FAA also warned that staffing issues at a plant in Jacksonville, Florida, could cause problems.
Just last week, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy It had been predicted that travelers would start seeing more flight delays and cancellations as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the pandemic. closureapproaching the one-month mark.
during weekend appearances fox Duffy, on the news show “Sunday Morning Futures,” said more controllers are calling in sick as worries about money add to the stress of an already challenging job.
“It shows the controller’s power is diminishing,” Duffy said.
Flights at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, were also briefly delayed earlier Monday. The disruption comes a day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a temporary grounding of flights at Los Angeles International Airport for about two hours due to a controller shortage. About 72% of flights scheduled at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday departed within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Monday that most controllers will continue to work mandatory overtime six days a week without pay during the government shutdown. Unless a controller calls in sick from the FAA, there is little time for side work.
Union members are expected to gather at major airports across the U.S. on Tuesday, including New York City and Atlanta, to hand out flyers to passengers detailing the negative impacts of the closures Impact on national aviation system and the workers who keep it operating safely. The action coincides with controllers receiving full paychecks for the first time since the shutdown.
Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide Food donations and other support Applies to federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.
Even before the shutdown, the FAA was already facing a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. NATCA President Nick Daniels said the agency’s staffing has reached its “lowest level in decades, at just 10,800 people.”