🔗 Share this article American Airport Disruption Worsens as Staffing Shortages Escalate During Federal Closure Passengers throughout America are preparing for growing disruptions as airport staffing shortages continue to worsen during the ongoing government closure, now entering its seventh day. Escalating Worries Over Air Travel Network Labor leaders for air traffic controllers and TSA agents have warned that the circumstances is likely to deteriorate, with staffing challenges documented at several major airports including locations such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia. "The risk of wider impacts to the US aviation system is growing by the day," stated aviation expert Henry Harteveldt. He expressed serious worry that if the shutdown continues, it could potentially disrupt countless American Thanksgiving travel plans in November. Travel Disruptions and Operational Issues Workforce gaps, featuring an increased rate of workers taking sick leave, impacted key facilities around Denver, Los Angeles and New York on Monday, causing postponements affecting more than 6,000 flights across the country. The Burbank facility's flight control was temporarily closed and operations were handled by a different location Nashville airport experienced postponements averaging 120 minutes due to staffing issues O'Hare Airport in Chicago showed typical postponements of nearly three-quarters of an hour Dallas-Fort Worth had delays logged at half an hour Sector Reaction and Labor Stance The National Air Traffic Controllers Association stressed that it does not support any coordinated activities that could negatively affect the national flight network. The union clarified that air traffic controllers value their duty to ensure passenger security very seriously and engaging in any work stoppage could lead to removal from federal service. Official Viewpoint The Transportation Department head Sean Duffy alerted that the country's air traffic control system is being harmed from the continuing federal closure. "They aren't only thinking about the flight paths," he commented regarding flight controllers who are not receiving salaries. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a paycheck'?" He noted that many controllers depend on regular income and are unable to manage extended periods without payment. Wider Consequences Based on emergency preparations, roughly a quarter of the employees, or more than 11,000 FAA employees, were temporarily laid off when the closure started last week. Nevertheless, 13,000 air traffic controllers continue working, with recruitment and instruction also ongoing. Labor leader Nick Daniels pointed out that the shutdown has highlighted preexisting issues faced by flight controllers, including workforce gaps and outdated equipment. He clarified that the circumstances is particularly grave at smaller airports where limited staffing creates additional challenges. Despite the widespread delays, flight data 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 "workforce threshold" that would decrease the number of flights in and out of airports, indicating that activities were proceeding despite the difficulties.