On ‘The Will Cain Show,’ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addresses the effects of the government shutdown on airports around the country and President Donald Trump’s approval of a mineral mining road in Alaska.
Due to the continuing federal government shutdown, several major U.S. airports experienced ground stops or delays on Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website indicated that Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey issued a ground delay Sunday afternoon lasting until 12:59 a.m. the next day, with average flight delays of around 82 minutes.
In Boston, Logan International Airport was under a ground stop until 4:30 p.m. local time because of a disabled plane on the runway.
KTLA reported that a staffing shortage caused a ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, but it was later rescinded.
ALASKA AIRLINES REESTABLISHES OPERATIONS AFTER NATIONWIDE FLIGHTS WERE GROUNDED DUE TO A WIDESPREAD TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM
Staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown have led major airports like Newark Liberty International Airport to issue ground delays or ground stops. (David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters / Reuters)
According to KTLA, Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, also experienced disruptions due to the ground stop.
San Francisco International Airport had a ground delay in place until 1:59 a.m. the following day, with delays averaging 44 minutes.
Numerous other airports encountered brief flight delays on Sunday afternoon, typically lasting from 15 to 30 minutes. These included:
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia
- LaGuardia Airport in New York City
- Dallas Love Field in Dallas
- Denver International Airport in Denver
- Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida
- Orlando International Airport in Orlando
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CAUSES MAJOR AIRPORTS TO ISSUE GROUND STOPS DUE TO SHORTAGE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
A look at Denver International Airport in Denver. Several airports had flight delays Sunday afternoon, usually lasting from 15 to 30 minutes. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to the FAA website, reasons for the delays included staffing issues, weather conditions, heavy demand, and traffic management measures.
FOX Business’ request for comment was not immediately answered by the FAA. An automated response from the agency stated, “The FAA is not addressing routine media inquiries due to a lapse in funding.”
The response also mentioned staffing problems throughout the system, noting, “As [Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy] has noted, there have been growing staffing shortages across the system. In such cases, the FAA reduces traffic to certain airports to ensure safe [operations].”
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A staffing shortage caused a ground stop affecting flights at Los Angeles International Airport around 8 a.m. on Sunday. KTLA reports that the ground stop was later lifted. (Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Duffy told Maria Bartiromo in an exclusive Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” interview that the ongoing 26-day shutdown has led air traffic controllers to increasingly call out sick or miss work because their paychecks have stopped.
He pledged to reduce air traffic operations if needed to guarantee safety isn’t compromised.
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“My priority is maintaining the safety of the airspace. Therefore, if I feel we lack sufficient controllers or enough attentive controllers, we will decrease or halt traffic,” Duffy informed Bartiromo.
Visit the FAA’s website for the most recent information on airport delays and ground stops.
This report was aided by Fox News Digital’s Kristen Altus.
