🔗 Share this article American Airport Disruption Deepens as Workforce Gaps Intensify During Government Shutdown Passengers across the United States are bracing for increasing disruptions as workforce gaps at airports further deteriorate during the current federal government shutdown, now entering its seventh consecutive day. Growing Concerns Over Aviation System Labor leaders for flight controllers and security screeners have cautioned that the situation is likely to deteriorate, with staffing challenges reported at several major airports including locations such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia. "The risk of broader effects to the American air travel network is growing by the day," commented aviation expert Henry Harteveldt. He expressed serious worry that should the closure persist, it could possibly interfere with countless American Thanksgiving travel plans in November. Travel Disruptions and Operational Challenges Workforce gaps, including an increased rate of employees calling in sick, impacted key facilities around Denver, Los Angeles and New York on Monday, resulting in postponements affecting more than 6,000 flights across the country. Burbank airport's flight control was temporarily closed and operations were handled by a different location Nashville airport reported postponements averaging 120 minutes due to staffing issues O'Hare Airport in Chicago showed typical postponements of nearly three-quarters of an hour Dallas-Fort Worth experienced delays logged at half an hour Sector Reaction and Labor Stance The National Air Traffic Controllers Association emphasized that it does not support any organized actions that could adversely impact the National Airspace System. The organization stated that flight controllers take their responsibility to ensure passenger security extremely earnestly and participating in any job action could lead to termination of employment. Government Perspective Transportation Secretary the transportation official warned that the national flight control network is suffering damage from the continuing federal closure. "They're not just thinking about the flight paths," he remarked regarding air traffic controllers who are working without pay. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a salary'?" He noted that many controllers live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford extended periods without compensation. Broader Implications Based on contingency planning, roughly a quarter of the workforce, or over eleven thousand aviation administration workers, were temporarily laid off when the closure started last week. However, 13,000 air traffic controllers remain on duty, with recruitment and instruction also ongoing. Labor leader Nick Daniels indicated that the shutdown has emphasized preexisting issues encountered by air traffic controllers, including staff shortages and aging technology. He clarified that the circumstances is particularly grave at smaller airports where limited staffing creates additional challenges. Despite the widespread delays, aviation analytics indicated that roughly 92% of flights departing from US airports departed as scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would reduce the flight volume in and out of airports, indicating that operations were continuing despite the difficulties.