If you have been waiting hours at the airport for your delayed flight on Tuesday, you’re not alone.
Flight delays spread across the US on Tuesday evening as the air traffic controller shortage deepened.
Many air traffic controllers are going without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown and will likely miss their first paycheck next Tuesday.
Data from the Federal Aviation Administration showed significant staffing-related delays at major airports, including Nashville International, Chicago O’Hare, and Dallas-Fort Worth. By 5:30 p.m. ET, arrivals in Nashville were averaging 126-minute delays.
It is now the second day that staffing shortages have rippled through the system.
On Monday, the delays were still relatively contained at the Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles County, but the issue is expected to worsen as the government shutdown continues. A similar pattern emerged during the 35-day government shutdown in 2019, as air traffic controllers forced to work without pay called in sick.
“Due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries,” the FAA responded when reached for comment. “For updates, including staffing and weather, at every US airport, visit www.fly.faa.gov.”
In a statement to Business Insider, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said, “It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals. NATCA has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today’s events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring.”
The NATCA also said nearly 11,000 controllers are still working, with some doing 10-hour shifts up to six days a week, all without pay during the government shutdown.
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