Major U.S. Airports Experience Delays and Ground Stops Amid Federal Government Shutdown
Major airports across the U.S. experienced significant disruptions on Sunday due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Several airports issued ground stops and delays, primarily due to staffing shortages and other operational challenges.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey initiated a ground delay in the afternoon, which lasted until 12:59 a.m. local time the following day. Passengers faced an average delay of 82 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In Boston, Logan International Airport faced a ground stop until 4:30 p.m. local time due to a disabled aircraft blocking the runway.
A ground stop was also issued around 8:30 a.m. at Los Angeles International Airport, caused by staffing shortages. This stop was later lifted, with other airports such as Oakland International Airport in California also affected.
San Francisco International Airport imposed a ground delay until 1:59 a.m. the following day, with delays averaging 44 minutes.
Other airports that faced temporary delays of 15 to 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon included:
- Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, Virginia
- LaGuardia Airport, New York City
- Dallas Love Field, Dallas
- Denver International Airport, Denver
- Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers, Florida
- Orlando International Airport, Orlando
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
The FAA attributed these delays to various factors, including staffing shortages, weather conditions, increased demand, and traffic management initiatives. A statement from the FAA noted that the agency was unable to respond to routine media inquiries due to the lapse in funding.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the ongoing staffing issues across the air traffic control system, stating that the FAA would slow down traffic or stop it entirely if necessary to maintain safety. He confirmed that air traffic controllers had increasingly called in sick or missed work due to unpaid wages during the shutdown.
“My job is to keep the airspace safe. And so, if I don’t feel like I have enough controllers or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow down traffic, we will stop traffic,” Duffy said during an interview on Fox News.
