The government shut down in the United States is being blamed for flight service delays at major airports in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. There is an acute shortage of staff at these critical air traffic control centers.
Flights into LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International and Philadelphia International airports were delayed Friday Morning by average 41 minutes. The executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Trish Gilbert blamed the delay on the partial government shutdown.
Some flights were delayed over two hours, and the ground stop at LaGuardia could have a nationwide effect. It could delay departures from other airports, forcing bottlenecks and create a ripple effect. This region is the most trafficked air spaces in the world, about 20% of all airline passengers.
The agency said several staff reported sick due to severe weather conditions, for now the agency is rerouting traffic, and increasing spacing between aircraft as needed.
US Government Shutdown – The partial United States government shutdown had entered the 35th day today. Close to 800,000 workers remain unpaid, and many government offices remain shut. The reason for the shutdown is because Mr. Trump could not agree to a financial budget for the year 2019. President Trump has an adamant demands of US$ 5.7 billion in federal funds for a U.S.–Mexico border wall.