Staffing Shortfall Forces Temporary Ground Stop for Flights Bound for Los Angeles

Flights scheduled to depart for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were briefly grounded on Sunday after a shortage of air traffic controllers at a Southern California facility reduced the system’s capacity, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency issued a nationwide ground stop for aircraft destined for LAX at 11:42 a.m. Eastern Time, halting departures from origin airports and triggering cascading delays across the domestic network.

The action came during the fourth week of the partial federal government shutdown, which has left thousands of controllers on the job without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speaking earlier on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” warned that absences were increasing as employees faced growing financial strain. Duffy cited 22 “staffing triggers” recorded the previous day—one of the highest daily totals since the shutdown began—as evidence that the system was approaching an unsafe operating threshold.

The FAA reported average delays of one hour and 40 minutes for Los Angeles–bound flights during the ground stop. The agency said it expected to lift the nationwide hold at 1:30 p.m. Eastern but noted that flow-control measures, including airborne spacing and further departure holds, could persist depending on staffing levels later in the day. Arrivals already en route were allowed to land, but departure rates were sharply reduced until additional controllers could report for duty.

Airports outside California also experienced operational constraints linked to staffing shortages. Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, as well as Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, reported takeoff and arrival disruptions on Sunday afternoon, the FAA said. The agency did not immediately release precise delay statistics for those facilities but advised travelers to monitor airline notifications.

The Southern California facility affected on Sunday manages a dense corridor of arrivals and departures into LAX, one of the world’s busiest commercial hubs. With roughly 1,500 daily nonstop flights connecting Los Angeles to more than 180 destinations, any extended limitation on traffic quickly affects national schedules. Airlines re-routed crews, adjusted aircraft assignments, and issued waivers allowing passengers to change itineraries without penalty.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing roughly 14,000 controllers, has repeatedly warned that sustained unpaid work threatens the integrity of the system. According to union officials, mandatory overtime and reduced staffing have coincided with higher reports of fatigue-related incidents. Data published by the Federal Aviation Administration show that controller vacancy rates had already been rising before the shutdown, amplifying the impact of even a modest uptick in sick leave.

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Secretary Duffy told Fox News that the Department of Transportation was exploring stop-gap measures to support employees but acknowledged that only congressional action to reopen the government would fully restore normal operations. “Controllers handle thousands of aircraft every day in a complex environment,” he said. “Without compensation, the stress they face only intensifies.” The secretary did not specify how long the agency believes it can maintain current traffic levels if staffing continues to erode.

As of Sunday evening, most carriers reported that flights already delayed by the morning ground stop were moving again, though residual disruptions were expected to linger into Monday. Airline officials encouraged passengers traveling through LAX, Newark, Teterboro, or Fort Myers to verify departure times before heading to the airport. The FAA said it would continue to monitor staffing at all affected facilities and would issue additional traffic management initiatives as necessary to maintain safety in the national airspace system.

Crédito da imagem: Associated Press