đź”— Share this article American Airport Disruption Deepens as Staffing Shortages Escalate During Government Shutdown Travelers throughout America are bracing for increasing disruptions as workforce gaps at airports continue to worsen during the ongoing government closure, now reaching its seventh day. Growing Concerns Over Aviation System Labor leaders for flight controllers and security screeners have cautioned that the situation is likely to deteriorate, with workforce issues reported at multiple major airports including locations such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia. "The risk of wider impacts to the US aviation system continues to increase by the day," stated aviation expert Henry Harteveldt. He voiced grave concern that should the closure persist, it could potentially disrupt millions of Americans' holiday travel arrangements in November. Flight Delays and Operational Challenges Workforce gaps, featuring an increased rate of employees calling in sick, impacted major airports around Denver, Los Angeles and New York on Monday, resulting in delays for over 6,000 flights across the country. The Burbank facility's flight control was temporarily closed and responsibilities were managed by a different location Nashville airport experienced delays of approximately two hours due to staffing issues O'Hare Airport in Chicago showed typical postponements of nearly three-quarters of an hour The DFW airport experienced delays logged at 30 minutes Sector Reaction and Labor Stance The National Air Traffic Controllers Association emphasized that it does not endorse any coordinated activities that could adversely impact the national flight network. The organization clarified that air traffic controllers value their duty to ensure passenger security very seriously and participating in any job action could lead to removal from federal service. Government Perspective The Transportation Department head Sean Duffy alerted that the national flight control network is being harmed from the ongoing government shutdown. "They aren't only thinking about the flight paths," he remarked regarding flight controllers who are working without pay. "They're concerned about, 'Am I going to get a paycheck'?" He noted that many operators depend on regular income and are unable to manage prolonged durations without compensation. Wider Consequences According to emergency preparations, approximately a quarter of the employees, or more than 11,000 aviation administration workers, were furloughed when the shutdown began last week. However, 13,000 air traffic controllers remain on duty, with recruitment and instruction also ongoing. Union president Nick Daniels indicated that the shutdown has emphasized preexisting issues encountered by air traffic controllers, including workforce gaps and aging technology. He explained that the situation is especially serious at smaller airports where reduced personnel creates additional challenges. Regardless of the widespread delays, aviation analytics indicated that approximately 92% of departures from American airports took off on time as of Tuesday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would decrease the flight volume in and out of airports, indicating that activities were proceeding despite the challenges.