Air traffic controller shortages to drag on, US transportation secretary says

U.S. airports reported 22 incidents of air traffic controller shortages on Saturday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, with more shortages expected to bring more flight delays and cancellations in the days ahead as the government shutdown drags on.

According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, there were more than 5,900 U.S. flight delays by 6 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Sunday and more than 5,300 on Saturday. Delays have often been above average since the shutdown began on October 1. 

The state of air safety has been closely watched for signs of increased delays or cancellations, as observers look for indications that the shutdown is making life harder for Americans. That in turn could pressure lawmakers to break the budget deadlock that led to the shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday had 22 "triggers" that indicated shortages of air traffic controllers, Duffy told the Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" program. He called that figure "one of the highest that we've seen in the system" since October 1.

"That's a sign that the controllers are wearing thin," Duffy said. 

The FAA website said ground delay programs had been issued because of staffing shortages on Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Washington's Reagan National Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

The agency also issued a ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday due to traffic controller staffing shortages around 11:30 a.m. (1530 GMT), which was lifted later although delays continued.

The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

Air traffic controllers received a paycheck two weeks ago at 90% of their regular pay. But Tuesday's payday would have been for their first pay period solely for work in October.  

Controllers facing the prospect of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said. 

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking," he said.

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work even if they are not being paid during the shutdown.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.

In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending wait times at some airport check points. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington.

Duffy and other Republicans have criticized Democrats for opposing a "clean" short-term funding bill with no strings attached. Democrats criticize President Donald Trump and Republicans for refusing to negotiate over health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.