Weeks into the government shutdown, amid concerns that a decrease in the workforce could sacrifice safety and hinder travel, flights into a New York City airport were delayed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on its website that flights into LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, on Friday, were delayed, citing a shortage in air traffic control staff. Staffing issues included problems with the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center and the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center, among others.
The employee shortage in the Washington area prompted the FAA to order a ground stop at LaGuardia, according to Bloomberg. Newark Liberty International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Reagan National Airport also experienced delays, as reported by Bloomberg.
Flights arriving into LaGuardia Airport were delayed by about 41 minutes as of 10:15 a.m. EST, and gate hold and taxis had delays of between 15 and 29 minutes, although the FAA said the delays were decreasing. Arrival traffic was experiencing airborne delays of 15 minutes or less.
Departure traffic from Newark Liberty International Airport destined for LaGuardia was delayed by about an hour and 26 minutes, according to FAA information posted shortly before 11:00 a.m. EST. Gate hold and taxi delays at the New Jersey airport were delayed by about 45 minutes, and that length of time was increasing.
Philadelphia International Airport also had delays of about an hour and 26 minutes for flights destined for LaGuardia Airport. Gate hold and taxi delays lasted only about 15 minutes, the same delay time for arrival traffic.
"The president has been briefed, and we are monitoring the ongoing delays at some airports," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "We are in regular contact with officials at the Department of Transportation and the FAA."
“The President has been briefed and we are monitoring the ongoing delays at some airports. We are in regular contact with officials at the Department of Transportation and the FAA.”
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 25, 2019
- @PressSec
The FAA advised people who were flying to check with their airlines to see if their flight would be affected.
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