Flights delayed at Newark airport over air traffic control staffing crunch

[Newark Liberty International Airport Green Road Sign In Front of Air Traffic Control Tower.]
Feverpitched/iStock via Getty Images

The Federal Aviation Administration delayed flights at the Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday on account of air traffic control staffing issues as the government shutdown nears a full month.

The ground delay program was in place for several hours, with an average flight delay of 40 minutes, according to the FAA.

Around 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are considered essential workers, so they must work during the government shutdown without pay. Controllers missed their first full paychecks on Oct. 28, while TSA workers missed theirs on Oct. 24.

These workers will receive back pay once the shutdown ends, but given the ongoing political deadlock, it's unclear when that will happen.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said 44% of flight delays on Sunday and 24% on Monday were caused by air traffic controller absences, up from the 5% on average before the shutdown began.

"Air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals currently are working without pay, often under grueling schedules of six days a week, 10 hours a day," according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "Some are taking second jobs to feed their families and pay their bills - leading to stress and fatigue."

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