Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy discusses the impact the government shutdown is having on airports across the country and President Donald Trump approving a mining road in Alaska on “The Will Cain Show.”
Major airports across the U.S. issued ground stops or delays on Sunday amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey issued a ground delay Sunday afternoon until 12:59 a.m. local time the next day, with flights delayed an average of about 82 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website.
In Boston, a ground stop was issued at Logan International Airport until 4:30 PM local time due to a disabled aircraft on the runway.
Around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, a staff shortage reportedly led to a ground stop that affected flights at Los Angeles International Airport. The ground stop was later lifted, he said to KTL.
ALASKA AIRLINES RESTORES OPERATIONS AFTER MAJOR TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM GROUNDS NATIONAL FLIGHTS
Major airports such as Newark Liberty International Airport have issued ground delays or ground stops due to staffing shortages during the ongoing government shutdown. (David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters/Reuters)
Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, was also affected by that ground stop, KTLA reported.
San Francisco International Airport issued a ground delay until 1:59 a.m. the next day, with an average delay of 44 minutes.
Many other airports experienced temporary flight delays on Sunday afternoon, usually between 15 and 30 minutes, including:
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia
- LaGuardia Airport in New York City
- Dallas Love Field in Dallas
- Denver International Airport in Denver
- Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida
- Orlando International Airport in Orlando
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago
MAJOR AIRPORTS PROBLEMS WITH GROUND STOPS DUE TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER STAFF SHORTAGE AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
A view of Denver International Airport in Denver. Many other airports experienced delays of 15 to 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Some of the reasons cited for the delays included staffing levels, weather, reduced demand and traffic management initiatives, according to the FAA website.
The response also referenced staffing issues across the system, noting: “As [Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy] has said there are increased staff shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic to some airports to ensure safety [operations].”
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT DIVERSES AFTER WINDSCREEN CRACKS AT 36,000 FEET
Around 8 a.m. Sunday, a staff shortage caused a ground stop that affected flights at Los Angeles International Airport. That ground stop was later lifted, according to KTLA. (Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images/Getty Images)
He has pledged to slow air traffic operations if necessary to ensure safety is not compromised.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“My job is to keep the airspace safe. And so, if I don’t feel like I have enough controllers or enough focused air traffic controllers, we will slow traffic, we will stop traffic,” Duffy told Bartimo.
For the latest updates on airport delays and ground stops, visit the FAA website.
