Overview
- Federal data show staffing shortages at nearly 50% of the FAA’s Core 30 facilities, with the agency citing a surge in controller callouts and nearly 80% absence rates in parts of the New York area.
- The FAA warned Orlando International briefly lacked certified controllers for arrivals before staffing was restored, and the airport logged average delays around 2.7 hours with some flights held nearly 12 hours.
- Flight trackers reported thousands of delays and more than a thousand cancellations on the worst days, and Friday brought staffing-related slowdowns at major hubs including New York, Boston, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Washington.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said disruptions will intensify into this weekend and next week, and Vice President J.D. Vance cautioned that an unresolved funding lapse could upend holiday travel.
- Airlines and the air traffic controllers’ union urged passage of a continuing resolution, noting a preexisting shortfall of about 3,500 controllers, prolonged mandatory overtime and the FAA’s use of traffic flow reductions and ground stops to preserve safety.