As the government shutdown continues the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has delayed some flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport as air traffic control struggles with a staff shortage.
According to NBC News, the FAA says that flights are being delayed nearly 90 minutes, and encourages travelers to check the site to see if they are affected.
Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey and Philadelphia International Airport is also experiencing flight delays as well. Departure delays at Newark’s airport are reportedly between 30 to 44 minutes.
The FAA said in a statement, “We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two air traffic control facilities affecting New York and Florida. As with severe storms, we will adjust operations to a safe rate to match available controller resources. We’ve mitigated the impact by augmenting staffing, rerouting traffic, and increasing the spacing between aircraft as needed. The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system.”
The government shut down has officially hit 35 days, making it the longest shutdown in history.
Due to staffing shortages at FAA air traffic control centers along the East Coast, there are major delays at LGA. Confirm your flight with your airline. [32]
— LaGuardia Airport: Rated Best Airport in its Class (@LGAairport) January 25, 2019
