Aviation agency reports increase in traffic controllers absent
(MENAFN) Major US airports have faced widespread flight delays due to a sharp increase in air traffic controllers calling in sick, as reported by government aviation authorities.
Half of the country’s 30 largest airports are currently affected by staff shortages, including New York, where 80% of controllers were absent heading into the weekend, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Nearly 13,000 controllers have been working without pay because of the ongoing government shutdown, now entering its second month.
"After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue," the FAA said in a social media post, noting that the shortage has forced the agency to slow the flow of air traffic to maintain safety. "This may result in delays or cancellations," the post added.
On Friday, approximately 6,000 domestic flights were delayed, and nearly 500 were cancelled, according to reports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy commented on the pressures facing controllers: "These are people that oftentimes live paycheck to paycheck. They're concerned about gas in the car. They're concerned about child care and mortgages."
Lawmakers remain deadlocked, as multiple Republican-led bills to fund the government have repeatedly failed in the Senate. Democrats are demanding that tax credits making health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans be extended in exchange for reopening the government. They are also calling for a reversal of President Donald Trump's cuts to Medicaid, the federal program providing healthcare to low-income, elderly, and disabled Americans.
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