“Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) delayed flights at airports in Austin, Newark and Nashville on Friday due to continuing problems with air traffic control staff and the government shutdown now in its 31st day,” Reuters reports.
The agency adds that at least nine FAA facilities were struggling with staffing problems on Friday. Flights will probably also be delayed at airports in Houston and Dallas.
Thousands of flights canceled in the US
Reports show that average flight delays ranged from 50 to 100 minutes. FlightAware, an air traffic monitoring site, reported that as of 12:30 p.m. ET 2,200 U.S. flights were delayed and 300 canceled.
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It's another day of chaos at some airports. On Thursday, 7,300 U.S. flights were delayed and 1,250 were canceled.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was quoted as saying on Friday that expects more flight delays in the coming days. “I think we're going to see even more airspace disruptions this weekend and next week,” he said on Fox News' “America's Newsroom.”
On Thursday, air traffic control staff shortages paralyzed flights in Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington.
The airlines appeal. FAA is looking for employees
Delta Air Lines, United, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines urged Congress to quickly pass the temporary funding bill.
See also: The U.S. government shutdown is already impacting the economy
“The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of its projected staffing leveland many of them worked mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the US shutdown,” writes Reuters.
