A traveler waits outside with luggage as the air traffic control tower is seen in the background at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday. LAX, like other airports in the United States, have been affected by air traffic control shortages. Photo by Caroine Brehman/EPA
Nov. 10 (UPI) — Several thousand flights were again canceled or delayed Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration cut down on service because of air traffic controller shortages amid the longest federal government shutdown.
Staff members who show up for work are not being paid, which has led to fatigue despite the need to be alert, Transportation Secretary Duffy said. Some are tired because they are working second jobs to bring in money as the shutdown entered its 41st day.
Since Friday, the FAA has ordered a 4% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, which has caused a ripple effect at smaller locations.
There were 2,747 cancellations and 8,337 delays involving U.S. Airports through 8 p.m. Monday, according to FlightAware.
On Sunday, there were 3,498 cancellations and 11,231 delays involving U.S. airports. The first two days there aren’t as many: 1,526 cancellations and 7,016 delays Friday, and 1,944 cancellations and 7,545 delays on Saturday.
The cancellations and delays were not just because of work shortages but also due to bad weather and equipment issues.
Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International were affected by a major snowstorm.
At O’Hare, the second busiest airport in the nation, 321 departures, or 23% of flights, were canceled, and 314 arrivals, or 22%, were canceled. There were more than 1,000 delays of total incoming and outgoing flights.
Delays averaged more than 6 hours at O’Hare.
One couple decided to drive to the Chicago area from New Orleans because their flight was canceled.
Grace Butler and her boyfriend were stranded on Interstate 57 near Onarga, Ill., for two hours Monday morning.
“No visibility, road is covered with snow and ice. Have lived in Chicago my whole life and never seen a blizzard this bad,” Butler told CNN.
The much smaller Midway had 73, or 22%, departure cancellations, and 53, or 15%, arrival delays.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the largest airport in the nation, had the second-most arrival cancellations: 150, or 12%. The departures were the third-most, 82, or 6%.
LaGuardia Airport in New York had the second-most departure cancellations at 86, or 15%, with arrivals the second most at 86 or 15%.
Other highly affected airports were Boston Logan International, Newark International in New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth International.
The various FAA locations: control centers, high-altitude flights and Terminal Radar Approach Control have been affected.
Duffy and his boss, President Donald Trump, said it is vital for them to show up for work despite not getting paid.
Trump demanded they “get back to work, NOW” in a post Monday on Truth Social.
“Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”
And those who didn’t work “will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”
Duffy reposted Trump’s item.
“To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe,” Duffy posted on X. “I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”
But he admitted to CNN on Sunday: “It’s going to be harder for me to come back after the shutdown and have more controllers controlling the airspace. So this is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up.”
The leader of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it is a bad situation.
“The fatigue has led to the erosion of safety and the increased risk every day that this shutdown drags on,” Nick Daniels, president of the association, said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to know what the real fallout of this shutdown is, it’s not a budget line, it is the smallest and the most dangerous shift of all — when the most disciplined safety workforce in America is forced to think about survival instead of public safety.”
He added: “Air traffic controllers must show up day in and day out, fully prepared to handle the stress, pressure and the weight of their responsibilities to the American flying public and their safety. But now they must focus on child care instead of traffic flows, food for their families instead of runway separation.”
David Seymour, American Airlines’ chief operating officer, said the disruption is not acceptable and the workers should be paid rather than getting back pay after the shutdown ends.
“This is simply unacceptable, and everyone deserves better,” Seymour said in a letter to employees that was obtained by CBS News. “Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid and our airline needs to be able to operate at a level of predictability and dependability that no major airline was able to provide the flying public this weekend.”