Delays expected at airports for third day as government shutdown drags on

Flight delays are expected across the country for a third straight day on Wednesday as the Federal Aviation Administration braced for more airport staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Within the last 48 hours, delays due to air traffic controller staffing shortages were reported at airports in Boston; Burbank, California; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; and Phoenix, according to the FAA.

This week’s staffing shortages began on Monday, when air traffic controllers started working without pay due to the shutdown.

The federal agency said Wednesday morning that it expects staffing triggers at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three major airports in the New York City metropolitan area. The trigger would reduce the number of flights in and out of the airport to accommodate traffic safely with lower-than-ideal staffing levels.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at Newark Airport that there had been a slight uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick since the government shutdown began last week.

“Our priorities are safety,” Duffy said. “And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Tuesday in a statement that it does not “endorse, support, or condone” federal employees from coordinating to affect flight safety or cause delays.

“Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service,” the union posted on its website. “It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News on Tuesday that a draft White House memo argues that furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay after the government shutdown lifts.

The staffing shortages have fueled a surge in the number of domestic and international flight delays in recent days, with more than 6,000 reported on Monday and over 3,000 on Tuesday, according to FlightAware, a flight tracker website. As of Wednesday morning, there were already more than 720 delays within, into or out of the United States, according to the site.

However, some of the delays might be due to poor weather conditions on the East Coast. The next round of rain for the East Coast is set to arrive this weekend.

On Tuesday evening, Nashville International Airport was experiencing delays averaging around two hours due to staffing issues, according to the FAA’s website.

The FAA added that more broadly, it “will have limited communications but will send any significant safety messaging” as a result of the shutdown.