Flight delays soar past 2,700 as government shutdown hits Day 27 | Latest Travel News
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (GWN) -Air journey turmoil deepened with more than 2,700 flights delayed nationwide on Monday and more than 8,600 delays on Sunday, with air site visitors controller absences surging amid a federal government shutdown now in its twenty seventh day.
The Federal Aviation Administration cited staffing shortages affecting flights across the Southeast and at Newark Airport in New Jersey, while the FAA imposed a ground delay at Los (*27*) International that delayed flights by an average of 25 minutes.
Southwest Airlines had 45%, or 2,000, of its flights delayed on Sunday, while American Airlines had practically 1,200, or a third, of its flights delayed, according to FlightConscious, a flight-tracking web site. United Airlines had 24%, or 739, of its flights delayed and Delta Air Lines had 17%, or 610, of its flights delayed.
Roughly 13,000 air site visitors controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work without pay. The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.
On Monday, Southwest had 15% of flights delayed, American 12% and Delta 9% as of 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT), according to FlightConscious.
A U.S. Department of Transportation official said 44% of Sunday’s delays stemmed from controller absences — up sharply from the standard 5%.
The mounting delays and cancellations are fueling public frustration and intensifying scrutiny of the shutdown’s affect, raising strain on lawmakers to resolve the price range deadlock.
The FAA is about 3,500 air site visitors controllers short of focused staffing ranges and many had been working necessary extra time and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the quantity of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as employees missed paychecks, extending wait occasions at some airport checkpoints. Authorities had been compelled to slow air site visitors in New York and Washington.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Howard Goller)
Fuel your wanderlust with the latest in journey! Our web site brings you vacation spot guides, journey ideas, cultural experiences, hidden gems, and every part you need to explore the world smarter.
For thrilling journey tales, skilled suggestions, and trending locations, go to us frequently by clicking right here.
