On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a ground stop for flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) due to a significant shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the government shutdown led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, resulting in major disruptions to U.S. air travel.
The FAA announced that flights bound for LAX were held at their originating airports starting at 11:42 a.m. Eastern Time due to inadequate staffing at a Southern California air traffic facility.
The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, has left more than 13,000 air traffic controllers and roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay, according to transportation officials.
The average delay for affected flights was about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that 22 "staffing triggers" were logged the previous day — "one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began. And that's a sign that the controllers are wearing thin," he said.
The FAA is about 3,500 controllers short of its target staffing level, according to Reuters.
The disruption at LAX adds to growing concerns about widespread travel chaos. Similar staffing shortfalls have been reported at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, as well as Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
Earlier in the shutdown, the control tower at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles was reportedly unmanned for more than five hours, with traffic handled remotely — a situation linked to controller absences and the shutdown.
The incident directly ties the travel infrastructure disruption to the ongoing government funding stalemate.
Republican leadership and the Trump administration have pointed to the shutdown's impact on essential services, while Democrats have faulted Republicans for refusing to pass a short-term Affordable Care Act funding extension.
Amid the funding fight, airlines and passengers face a cascading impact.
The FAA's ground stop at LAX reverberates through the national network — delays at one major hub can ripple outward. The staffing shortfall exacerbates the post-pandemic strain on the aviation system.
The FAA expected to lift the ground stop by 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time but warned that traffic into LAX might remain restricted for the rest of the day. Officials said the situation may worsen as more controllers miss full pay periods. "That was yesterday ... we had 22 staffing triggers," Duffy said, highlighting the risk.
As travelers across the U.S. gauge the impact, the episode underscores how federal funding disputes can affect everyday operations — raising questions for lawmakers, airlines, and passengers alike.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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