New York City’s three major airports are under traffic restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration as staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown impact air travel.
John F. Kennedy International Airport was under a ground stop until 7:30 p.m. Friday due to staffing shortages, New York City Emergency Management said. The airport is also on a ground delay through early Saturday morning due to high winds and staffing. New Yorkers could see strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph on Friday, the agency warned.
Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport are also under ground delays due to staffing shortages and wind, according to the agency.
Staffing shortages are impacting travel nationwide as thousands of FAA employees, including air traffic controllers, go unpaid amid the government shutdown, which began October 1.
“More restrictions are possible if conditions worsen,” NYC Emergency Management said. “Travelers should expect widespread ripple delays and check with their airline for the latest flight status.”
JFK Airport has already seen more than 300 delayed flights and 85 cancellations as of Friday evening, according to FlightAware. There have also been more than 400 delays at Newark, and more than 500 delays at LaGuardia.
Airports in Washington, D.C., Houston, San Francisco and Phoenix are also under ground delays as of Friday evening due to staffing issues, according to the FAA. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Nashville International Airport were also under ground delays on Friday that have since been lifted. However, the DFW Airport is still under a departure delay.
Nationwide, there have been more than 5,000 delayed flights and more than 400 cancellations on Friday so far, according to FlightAware. On Thursday, there were 7,362 delayed flights and 1,251 cancellations in the U.S.
Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Thursday that the ongoing shutdown could create a “disaster” in November as holiday travel ramps up.
“Look it could be a disaster. It really could be, because at that point you’re talking about people have missed three paychecks, they’ve missed four paychecks,” Vance said. “How many of them are not going to show up for work?”
“Our traffic will be snarled, but it will be a disaster in aviation,” Duffy added.
Travelers are reporting frustration with the ongoing delays on day 31 of the government shutdown.
At Orlando International Airport, where staffing shortages prompted delays this week, traveler Blanca Nieves told local network WFTV 9 her flight to Puerto Rico was delayed hours.
“We are with two children, so it’s gonna be bad for us,” Nieves said. “Our flight is going to be two hours behind. They didn’t say why, they said we will have to wait two more hours here.”
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