Flight Delays Soar Amid U.S. Government Shutdown

Flight delays plagued major U.S. airports on Thursday as a shortage of air traffic controllers, resulting from the ongoing government shutdown, led to cascading operational disruptions. The Federal Aviation Administration cited significant delays averaging over two hours at Orlando and nearly an hour and a half at Washington's National Airport.

According to FlightAware, a flight tracking service, approximately 6,000 flights were delayed, and 1,100 were canceled nationwide, affecting around 20% of leading carriers' operations. The shutdown, which started on October 1, has left over 13,000 air traffic controllers working without pay, forcing some to take additional jobs and contributing to increased sick leave.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the severe impact on air traffic management, with delays attributable to staffing shortages soaring on the weekend. Prior to the shutdown, the FAA already faced a significant shortfall of air traffic controllers, who were working mandatory overtime to maintain service levels.