Flight delays were reported across the country for a second straight day Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration braced for more airport staffing shortages as the government shutdown continues.
Delays due to air traffic controller staffing shortages were reported at airports in Boston; Philadelphia; Nashville, Tennessee; Houston; Chicago; and Las Vegas, the FAA said.
The delays came on the heels of slowdowns at airports in Denver; Phoenix; Burbank, California; and Newark, New Jersey, that the FAA reported during the first 24 hours that air traffic controllers began working without pay because of the shutdown.
Meanwhile, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association reminded members it does not "endorse, support, or condone" federal employees' participating in coordinated activities that could affect flight safety or cause delays.
"Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service," the union posted on its website. "It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families."
Despite the delays, the FAA had not issued a "staffing trigger" Tuesday that would reduce the number of flights in and out of airports that don't have enough controllers to handle the traffic safely.
But the number of domestic and international flight delays has been surging in recent days, with more than 6,000 reported Monday, compared with roughly 3,000 delays Saturday, according to the flight tracker website FlightAware. There were just over 1,000 delays within, into, or out of the United States as of Tuesday morning, according to the site.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at Newark International Airport that there had been a slight increase in sick calls since the government shutdown began nearly a week ago.
"Our priorities are safety," Duffy said. "And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people."
Duffy said the government shutdown is most likely taking a toll on already overburdened controllers.
"Now what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace is: ‘How am I going to pay my mortgage? How do I make my car payment? I have a couple kids at home, how do I put food on the table?'" Duffy said. "'I’m working six days a week, so I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful, to think about how I can make extra money because the government may not provide me a paycheck?'"
NATCA President Nick Daniels also called for an end to the shutdown.
"We do not have the luxury of time," he said at a news conference in Newark. "We do not have time to waste on the unnecessary distractions created by this shutdown."
"Our message is clear: End the shutdown," he added.
On Tuesday evening, Nashville International Airport was experiencing delays that averaged around two hours because of staffing issues, the FAA said on its website.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said the FAA notified it at 1:25 p.m. that arriving and departing traffic at the airport would be reduced because of a shortage of air traffic controllers.
At O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, the FAA said, delays averaged 41 minutes Tuesday because of staffing.
Flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport faced delays of around 30 minutes late Tuesday afternoon, but the delay times were decreasing, the FAA said.
On Monday, staffing issues left Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area with no air traffic controllers. Another agency handled the workload. The airport, which is a smaller one, said Monday evening on X that it was still operational.
Eric Everts, a spokesperson for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, said in a statement that the airport "does not anticipate many visible impacts to operations in the short term due to the federal government shutdown, as most essential workers are required to continue working without pay."
Everts encouraged passengers to confirm their flight statuses and arrive early before their flights, especially "during this busy fall break period."
The Senate again failed to pass legislation Monday night that would reopen the government, and there are no signs of a deal between Democrats and Republicans in the immediate future.
