The Federal Aviation Administration announced late Thursday that issues related to air traffic control staffing are causing delays at airports in New York, Washington, Newark, and Houston, as the government shutdown enters its 23rd day.
The FAA reported staffing challenges at ten different locations and ordered flight suspensions at both Houston’s Bush and Newark airports. Average delays at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport reached 31 minutes, while LaGuardia Airport in New York experienced an average delay of 62 minutes.
Currently, around 13,000 air traffic controllers and approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay amid the ongoing shutdown.
According to FlightAware, over 4,200 flights were delayed across the United States on Thursday.
Federal officials are concerned that air traffic controller absences may increase over the upcoming weekend. By Tuesday, controllers will miss their first full paycheck.
Democrats have rejected allegations of being responsible for the ongoing shutdown, asserting that President Donald Trump and the Republicans are the ones refusing to negotiate.