Flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were temporarily halted on Sunday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a ground stop due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic control facility. The disruption came just hours after US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that travellers should brace for an increase in flight delays and cancellations across the country, as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
According to the FAA, the temporary hold on departing flights began at 11:42 a.m. Eastern Time and was lifted at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. While the situation at LAX stabilised soon after, other airports across the United States faced similar disruptions. The agency reported staffing-related delays at major airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Washington’s Reagan National, and Newark Liberty International in New Jersey.
During an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Secretary Duffy revealed that a growing number of controllers were calling in sick as financial pressures from the shutdown intensified. He noted that the strain of working without pay was taking a toll on morale and safety. “Just yesterday, we had 22 staffing triggers — one of the highest since the shutdown began. It’s a clear indication that controllers are reaching their limit,” Duffy said.
Despite the temporary ground stop, flight data from the tracking website FlightAware showed that the impact at LAX was relatively contained. However, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field reported a higher volume of delayed arrivals, which the FAA attributed to a mix of weather conditions and technical issues.
Elsewhere, limited staffing levels caused operational slowdowns at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty and Teterboro airports, as well as at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. By Sunday evening, the FAA confirmed that air traffic flow into both Chicago and Washington, D.C., was deliberately reduced to manage workloads for exhausted controllers.
The latest disruptions highlight the mounting pressure on the nation’s aviation system as the shutdown continues. With controllers performing critical duties without compensation, aviation experts have warned of potential safety implications and systemic breakdowns if the impasse in Washington is not resolved soon.
