The air transport system was in crisis long before the government shutdown. With 3,500 vacant positions to cover, air traffic controllers routinely worked extra days and longer shifts. Now with the federal shutdown, the air transport system is well past the breaking point. On Oct. 31, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that “Currently, half of our Core 30 facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, and nearly 80% of air traffic controllers are absent at New York-area facilities.” The FAA called for the government shutdown to end “so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.”
Also on Oct. 31, New York City’s Emergency Management office warned the flying public that passengers flying to, from or through New York “should expect schedule changes, gate holds, and missed connections. Anyone flying today should check flight status before heading to the airport and expect longer waits ... [the] average delay is about 140 minutes and some flights are delayed more than five hours.”
