US FAA sounds alarm as nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers remain unpaid amid shutdown, causing major flight delays at JFK, LAX, San Francisco and other hubs.
US FAA Faces Staffing Crisis as Shutdown Deepens Nationwide
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a stark warning that the U.S. air-traffic system is approaching a “breaking point” after nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers continued to work without pay as the government shutdown entered its fifth week. The FAA said these controllers oversee more than 50,000 daily flights, and mounting fatigue and staffing gaps are contributing to travel disruption and safety concerns nationwide.
Travelers are already seeing the effects: the agency confirmed widespread disruptions at major airports, including New York (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark), Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., with some hubs reporting surge callouts and temporary reductions to air traffic flow to preserve safety.
The staffing crisis stems from an underlying shortage — the FAA was already short roughly 3,000 controllers before the shutdown began — and the shutdown’s unpaid work requirement has amplified fatigue, forced mandatory overtime, and increased callouts.
