Flights to L.A. Halted Due to Staffing Shortages During Schumer Shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that flights to Los Angeles, California, were halted due to staffing shortages of air traffic controllers during the ongoing government shutdown, according to multiple reports.

The agency’s announcement of a “temporary ground stop” reportedly came after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed, during an interview with Fox News, that “more controllers were calling in sick as money worries” continue to pile on during the shutdown, according to ABC News.

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Due to flights to Los Angeles being halted, airplanes “were held at their originating airports starting at 11:42 a.m. Eastern time,” with the FAA predicting that the halt would end around 1:30 p.m., according to the outlet.

Per the outlet:

During an appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Features,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job.

“Just yesterday, …. we had 22 staffing triggers. That’s one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began. And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” he said.

The FAA said planes headed for Los Angeles were held at their originating airports starting at 11:42 a.m. Eastern time, causing delays averaging an hour and 40 minutes. The agency said it expected to lift the ground stop at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time but might continue to restrict traffic into LAX.

The FAA’s announcement came after flights to locations such as Phoenix, Houston, and San Diego were also seeing delays on Friday due to staffing shortages, according to Politico.