Due to the partial shutdown of the US government, airports across the country are facing a shortage of staff, leading to ground delays, longer wait times, and flight schedule changes.
Passengers who were expecting smooth connections and quick transfers in major cities are now facing unexpected delays and flight cancellations.
On Tuesday, October 7th, more than 3,600 domestic and international flights were delayed at airports across the United States, with 70 flights canceled.
Data from the flight tracking website FlightAware shows that this situation continued on Wednesday, with 460 flight delays and 25 flight cancellations reported by mid-morning.
Many essential personnel, including air traffic controllers, have been forced to take unpaid leave. However, it is expected that many will continue to work and receive retroactive pay once government funding is in place based on relevant laws.
Here are some airports experiencing staffing shortages:
In California, an airport has experienced a series of flight delays and cancellations due to the government shutdown. The situation was particularly severe on Monday when for nearly six hours starting at 4:15 PM, there were no air traffic controllers directing flight departures and landings at the airport.
As the busiest airport in the US, an airport in Georgia has also experienced flight disruptions in recent days.
According to FlightAware data, on Wednesday morning alone, 65 flights at the airport were delayed and two flights were canceled. On Tuesday, a total of 165 flights were delayed.
On Tuesday evening, an airport in Illinois implemented the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) flight delay program. The ground delay program started at 6 PM and lasted for about five hours, with an average delay time of 40 minutes for arriving and departing flights.
According to data from flychicago.com, on Wednesday morning, there were already 25 delayed flights at the airport.
A major airport in Texas also faced flight delays due to staffing shortages.
Two other major airports in Texas – George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston – were at risk of grounding flights on Tuesday due to staff shortages. Although they did not completely stop flights, both airports experienced significant delays.
Flights at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas were delayed by an hour on Tuesday.
Furthermore, airports including Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Nashville International Airport in Tennessee, were also dealing with staffing shortages.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated that Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida, Logan International Airport in Massachusetts, and Harry Reid International Airport in Nevada would also close at some point on Wednesday.