US airports hit by major delays from record-breaking government shutdown

"More than 16,700 US flights were delayed and another 2,282 were cancelled over the weekend from Friday to Sunday, according to FlightAware, a US website that provides real-time flight tracking. The delays continued into Monday evening in the US, as FlightAware counted more than 4,000 delays and 600 cancellations across major airports, like Chicago O'Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver and Newark."

"The FAA said on X that half of its Core 30 facilities at major US airports were experiencing staffing shortages due to the shutdown, with absences at New York-area airports hitting 80 percent. Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system (NAS)."

"Air traffic controllers, who number nearly 13,000 across the US, are classified as essential workers, which means they have been working without pay since the shutdown began on October 1. But the FAA said that there had been a surge in absences, which had forced it to reduce the flow of air traffic in the US to maintain safety standards."

Airports across the United States are experiencing major delays and cancellations due to a surge in absences among air traffic controllers during a record-breaking government shutdown. More than 16,700 flights were delayed and 2,282 cancelled over one weekend, and delays continued into Monday with over 4,000 delays and 600 cancellations at major hubs like Chicago O'Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver and Newark. The FAA reported that half of its Core 30 facilities face staffing shortages, with New York-area absences reaching 80 percent. Nearly 13,000 controllers have been working without pay since October 1, and staffing shortfalls have forced reductions in air traffic flow to maintain safety, producing further disruptions for travelers.

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