5 months ago
4
(NewsNation) — The government shutdown is causing superior headaches for air travelers crossed the state arsenic it stretches into its 2nd week.
On Wednesday, hundreds of flights were delayed and dozens canceled arsenic airports struggled to support operations going amid the authorities shutdown, according to data from FlightAware.
Though tens of thousands of TSA workers and aerial postulation controllers are considered indispensable workers and expected to timepiece successful during a shutdown with no pay, sick days and walkouts could worsen already existing staffing struggles astatine airports crossed the United States.
Late Tuesday night, an aerial postulation controller shortage triggered a crushed halt astatine Nashville's airport, which had already announced earlier successful the time it would beryllium reducing the fig of flights successful and retired until further notice.
Boston Logan International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport besides experienced crushed delays owed to staffing issues, according to NewsNation local affiliate WGN.
Hollywood Burbank Airport's power operation was unstaffed for much than six hours connected Monday, starring to cancellations and hourslong delays.
"We get here, nary luggage. We couldn't speech to anybody," traveler Vicki Davis said Monday. "And it's been heck trying to get successful interaction with idiosyncratic with the luggage."
Derek Bodkin's formation was delayed from departing the Los Angeles-area airdrome that aforesaid day: "I person to hold 2 hours to depart from here, and I'll miss my connector. So I've asked my woman to thrust up to San Francisco."
The U.S. had already faced a serious shortage of aerial postulation controllers, and the Federal Aviation Administration released plans to code a shortfall of astir 3,000 controllers earlier this year.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said his section has seen a tiny uptick successful workers calling retired sick during the shutdown, which could pb to a ripple effect for travelers.
TSA told NewsNation it hasn't experienced delays successful operations oregon call-outs, but immoderate airports are moving done contingency plans and offering escaped nutrient vouchers and parking to incentivize their employees to proceed coming in.
