NEW YORK (NBC) – Some arriving flights to LaGuardia Airport in New York City were halted Friday morning by the Federal Aviation Administration as air traffic control deals with a staff shortage issue as the government shutdown continues.
The FAA has tweeted that the stoppage is due to a “slight increase in sick leave.”
The agency said on its website that flights are being delayed more than 40 minutes, and urged travelers to check the site to see if they are affected.
Other airports in the Northeast, including Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Philadelphia International Airport, were also experiencing delays, according to FlightAware.
“We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two air traffic control facilities affecting New York and Florida,” according to a statement from the FAA. “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. The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system.”
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
