On Monday (October 13), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop order for some flights at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas due to a shortage of staff caused by the federal government shutdown.
According to the FAA, around 4 p.m. on Monday, the aviation regulatory agency issued instructions for arriving flights at Austin International Airport to delay their landings, with the expectation that the ground delay order would be lifted around 9 p.m.
Passengers were notified that their flights might be delayed by approximately 40 minutes for landing.
Around 8 p.m., the FAA issued a ground stop order for some flights destined for the airport, which was lifted about an hour later.
Both the ground delay and ground stop orders issued on Monday were due to a shortage of personnel at the airport.
Officials at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport indicated that they expected more than 35,000 passengers to travel through the airport on Monday.
Last week, airports across the country experienced flight delays due to staffing issues caused by the government shutdown.
Officials at various airports advised individuals traveling in the near future to monitor the status of their scheduled flights and to contact airlines for more information.
The ground delays and ground stop experienced at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Monday were just the latest in a series of disruptions at U.S. airports. As of Monday, the government shutdown had been ongoing for 13 days. With certain government departments closed, the absentee rate among airport staff has surged, severely impacting air transportation in the United States.
To prevent the situation from worsening, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned last Thursday that the department might dismiss air traffic controllers who had repeatedly been absent during the government shutdown.
Duffy praised 90% to 95% of air traffic controllers last week, noting that they were not receiving pay but continued to report to work each day.
As per the Department of Transportation’s requirements, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials are required to continue working during the government shutdown without receiving their pay.