International
oi-Oneindia Staff
The
United
States
faced
severe
travel
disruptions
on
Sunday
as
more
than
8,000
flights
were
delayed
due
to
a
growing
shortage
of
air
traffic
controllers.
The
issue
stems
from
the
ongoing
US
government
shutdown,
now
in
its
26th
day,
which
continues
to
affect
key
transportation
services.
Officials
have
warned
that
the
situation
may
worsen
in
the
coming
days
as
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration
(FAA)
struggles
with
staffing
shortages
across
multiple
airports.
On
Sunday,
over
8,000
U.S.
flights
were
delayed
due
to
an
air
traffic
controller
shortage,
a
result
of
the
ongoing
government
shutdown,
now
in
its
26th
day,
with
major
airlines
such
as
Southwest,
American,
United
and
Delta
experiencing
significant
disruptions.
FAA
Confirms
Widespread
Staffing
Issues
US
Transportation
Secretary
Sean
Duffy
said
on
Fox
News
that
the
FAA
reported
staffing
shortages
at
22
locations
on
Saturday
–
one
of
the
highest
figures
since
the
shutdown
began
on
October
1.
“The
controllers
are
wearing
thin,” he
stated,
adding
that
major
airports
such
as
Chicago’s
O’Hare
and
Washington’s
Reagan
National
have
been
forced
to
implement
ground
delay
programs
to
manage
flight
congestion.
Impact
on
Major
Airlines
According
to
FlightAware,
a
real-time
flight
tracking
service,
delays
affected
nearly
every
major
US
carrier.
Southwest
Airlines
faced
delays
for
45%
of
its
flights,
totaling
around
2,000
delays.
American
Airlines
experienced
about
1,200
delays,
impacting
nearly
one-third
of
its
operations.
United
Airlines
saw
739
delays,
accounting
for
24%
of
its
schedule,
while
Delta
Air
Lines
reported
610
delayed
flights,
or
17%
of
its
operations.
These
disruptions
highlight
the
severe
strain
placed
on
airlines
and
travelers
amid
the
ongoing
FAA
staffing
crisis.
Reasons
Behind
the
Staffing
Shortages
The
government
shutdown
has
directly
impacted
13,000
air
traffic
controllers
and
about
50,000
TSA
officers,
many
of
whom
continue
to
work
without
pay.
The
loss
of
income
and
increasing
workloads
are
prompting
some
controllers
to
seek
additional
jobs
to
make
ends
meet.
“The
controllers
are
taking
second
jobs;
they’re
out
there
looking,” Secretary
Duffy
noted,
emphasizing
that
the
FAA
is
already
short
by
about
3,500
controllers
from
its
ideal
staffing
levels.
Controllers
Working
Overtime
Before
the
shutdown,
many
air
traffic
controllers
were
already
working
mandatory
overtime
and
six-day
weeks
to
cover
shortages.
The
additional
financial
stress
of
the
shutdown
has
worsened
conditions.
A
similar
situation
occurred
during
the
2019
government
shutdown,
when
increased
absences
among
controllers
and
TSA
officers
led
to
longer
security
lines
and
airport
delays
nationwide.
Political
Deadlock
Worsens
Situation
The
political
standoff
between
Republicans
and
Democrats
continues
to
block
a
resolution.
Republicans
have
accused
Democrats
of
refusing
a
“clean”
funding
bill,
while
Democrats
blame
President
Donald
Trump’s
administration
for
failing
to
negotiate
on
key
policy
issues,
including
healthcare
subsidies.
As
the
shutdown
drags
on,
pressure
mounts
on
lawmakers
to
reach
an
agreement
and
end
the
crisis
that
has
affected
millions
of
air
travelers
and
critical
transportation
staff
across
the
country.
Travel
Advisory
Passengers
are
advised
to
check
flight
statuses
regularly,
arrive
early
at
airports,
and
use
airline
mobile
apps
for
real-time
updates.
Despite
widespread
delays,
safety
operations
remain
unaffected,
according
to
the
FAA.
