Flights were delayed across the country for a third straight day Wednesday as the Federal Aviation Administration contended with more airport staffing shortages amid the government shutdown.
One of the airports hit with delays was Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the FAA. The agency also ordered a reduction in the number of flights in and out of Orlando International Airport in Florida and Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the three major airports in the New York City metropolitan area.
The staffing shortages began Monday, when air traffic controllers started working without pay because of the shutdown.
Within the last 48 hours, delays from a lack of air traffic controllers have also been reported at airports in Boston; Burbank, California; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; and Phoenix, according to the FAA.
The FAA reduces the number of flights in and out of airports when there are lower-than-ideal staffing levels to handle all the air traffic safely.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday at Newark Airport that there had been a slight uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick since the government shutdown began last week.
“Our priorities are safety,” Duffy said at the time. “And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”
On Tuesday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement that it does not “endorse, support, or condone” federal employees from coordinating to affect flight safety or cause delays.
“Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service,” the union posted on its website. “It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News on Tuesday that a draft White House memo argues that furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay after the government shutdown lifts.
However, some of the delays may be because of weather conditions on the East Coast. The next round of rain for the East Coast is set to arrive this weekend.
On Tuesday evening, Nashville International Airport experienced delays averaging around two hours, according to the FAA’s website.
The FAA added that more broadly, it “will have limited communications but will send any significant safety messaging” as a result of the shutdown.