Update: The FAA issued an update to the situation at affected East Coast airports.
#FAA Statement: Staffing Update pic.twitter.com/CMVcyTNSz5
— The FAA (@FAANews) January 25, 2019
Update: The president has been briefed.
“The President has been briefed and we are monitoring the ongoing delays at some airports. We are in regular contact with officials at the Department of Transportation and the FAA.”
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 25, 2019
- @PressSec
Original Post
The Federal Aviation Association has halted flights into LaGuardia airport in New York City Friday due to a reported air traffic control staffing shortages. Airport employees across the country have failed to show up to work the past month of the partial government shutdown.
BREAKING: FAA says it is halting flights into New York's LaGuardia airport due to air traffic control staffing issues. https://t.co/jn8limUSe7
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 25, 2019
"We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two air traffic control facilities affecting New York and Florida," the FAA said in a statement. "As with severe storms, we will adjust operations to a safe rate to match available controller resources. We've mitigated the impact by augmenting staffing, rerouting traffic, and increasing spacing between aircraft as needed."
Meanwhile, outgoing flights are also being reported at two other major East Coast airports, Newark International and Philadelphia International.
In recent days reports have also suggested that TSA shortages have affected screenings and wait times for travelers. At the beginning of January, CNN reported that hundreds of TSA workers had called in sick, but the Trump White House disputed it.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.