Aviation collapse in the USA: over 1600 flights delayed due to government shutdown, which has been ongoing for 27 days
Kyiv • UNN
Due to the 27-day government shutdown in the USA, over 1660 flights have been delayed, caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers. Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA employees are working without pay, which exacerbates public outrage.
Air travel problems in the US have sharply escalated: due to the prolonged federal government shutdown, over 1,660 flights were delayed across the country on Monday, and over 8,600 the day before. These are the largest disruptions in air traffic since the beginning of the lockdown, which has been ongoing for 27 days. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The Federal Aviation Administration reported a staff shortage, which particularly affected flights in the southeastern US region and at Newark Airport (New Jersey). In Los Angeles, the FAA imposed takeoff restrictions, resulting in an average delay of 25 minutes.
According to FlightAware, on Sunday, 45% of American Airlines flights (over 2,000), a third of United Airlines flights (almost 1,200), and 17% of Delta Air Lines flights (610) were delayed.
A US Department of Transportation official clarified that 44% of all delays are due to a shortage of air traffic controllers – nine times more than usual.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA employees are currently working without pay, and will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday. Flight delays and cancellations are increasing public outrage and pressure on Congress, which has so far failed to unblock funding for federal agencies.