Two of Southern California's busiest airports suffered average flight delays of at least an hour Sunday amid air traffic control staff shortages due to the federal government shutdown.
Advisories from the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center said the delays were expected to persist into Sunday night.
The problem was related to “staffing,” the notices said. For San Diego, the notice specified a problem with “tower staffing.”
At San Diego International Airport, delays were expected to worsen to nearly 1 hour and 20 minutes between 9 and 10 p.m.
The only other airport in the entire country with a ground delay notice was in New Jersey, where the situation was even worse. Departures to Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed on average more than three and a half hours, according to an advisory. From 7 to 8 pm Eastern Time, average delays of 4 and a half hours were expected.
Since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, the FAA has warned of disruptions at airports due to staffing shortages.
Air traffic controllers are required to work without pay when the federal government shuts down and receive no retroactive pay until Congress agrees on a budget.
Airports across the country have experienced staff shortages in their air traffic control towers since the shutdown began.
Times staff writer Stacy Perman contributed to this report.
