Flights around the country are coming to a screeching halt thanks to the government shutdown. Due to a shortage of staff, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted all flights entering LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Other airports have also been impacted.
“We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two air traffic control facilities affecting New York and Florida,” the FAA said in a statement to CNN. “As with severe storms, we will adjust operations to a safe rate to match available controller resources.”
The FAA also says air traffic is delayed at Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey due to staffing issues.
The government shutdown is currently in its 35th day.
A statement to NBC News said: “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 spacing between aircraft as needed. The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system.”
A full list of the airports currently experiencing difficulties can be seen below.
Airports Affected By FAA Shortage
- LaGuardia
- Philadelphia
- Newark
