Overview
- Orlando International faced an FAA advisory warning of periods with no certified controllers, triggering a ground delay program and average holdups around 2.5 to 2.7 hours with some stretching to nearly 12 hours.
- The FAA said nearly half of the 30 busiest U.S. airports are short of air traffic controllers, with staffing alerts hitting facilities tied to Newark, Nashville and Austin and delays also spreading through the New York area.
- FlightAware data showed thousands of disruptions, including roughly 6,000 delays and 1,100 cancellations on Thursday, with additional delays and hundreds of cancellations reported by midday Friday.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of escalating disruptions into next week, and Vice President J.D. Vance cautioned that holiday travel could become a disaster if the funding lapse persists.
- Airlines and union leaders urged Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution as about 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA officers work without pay, compounding an existing 3,000–3,500-controller shortfall and raising fatigue and sick calls.