FAA Grounds Flights Nationwide Amid Hurricane Melissa and Shutdown Staffing Crisis

A government shutdown nearing a month has caused significant disruptions in U.S. air travel due to staffing shortages among 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers who have not been paid, leading to missed paychecks and increased stress. The FAA issued ground stops and delays at major airports including Newark Liberty, Los Angeles International, Boston Logan, Denver, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Orlando, and Tampa International, with Newark being one of the worst affected. Delays averaged 40 minutes and in some cases extended beyond 87 minutes, with airlines like United, Frontier, Spirit, and American Airlines experiencing high percentages of delayed flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged worsening staffing shortages and noted many controllers are seeking second jobs to manage financial pressures, warning of more delays and cancellations ahead. Hurricane Melissa is further complicating the situation by causing severe weather disruptions in the Southeast and Northeast regions. The White House, via press secretary Karoline Leavitt, blamed Senate Democrats for blocking a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government, while Democrats have repeatedly voted against the measure, prolonging the shutdown.