Overview
- FAA’s command center ordered a Sunday morning ground stop at Newark from 7:06–8:45 a.m. ET, then moved to a ground delay program that capped arrivals to as few as 20 per hour as New York City officials warned of two- to three-hour delays and regional ripple effects.
- The FAA says nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, and roughly half of the nation’s busiest facilities are short-staffed.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the department will delay or cancel flights to manage risk and said traffic could be halted if safety cannot be assured.
- Airlines and industry leaders urged Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution before the holiday rush, with United and American chiefs joining meetings in Washington and citing growing booking and economic strain.
- A preexisting shortage of about 3,000 controllers is compounding the shutdown’s impact, with many on six-day weeks and some taking second jobs, as delays also mounted Sunday at hubs including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Denver.