đź”— Share this article American Airport Chaos Worsens as Workforce Gaps Intensify During Federal Closure Travelers across the United States are bracing for increasing disruptions as workforce gaps at airports further deteriorate during the current government closure, now entering its seventh consecutive day. Escalating Worries Over Air Travel Network Union representatives for air traffic controllers and TSA agents have warned that the situation is likely to deteriorate, with workforce issues reported at several key airports including locations such as Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia. "The risk of wider impacts to the American air travel network continues to increase by the day," commented aviation expert Henry Harteveldt. He expressed grave concern that if the shutdown continues, it could possibly interfere with millions of Americans' Thanksgiving travel plans in November. Travel Disruptions and Operational Challenges Workforce gaps, featuring an elevated number of workers taking sick leave, impacted major airports around New York, Los Angeles and Denver on Monday, resulting in delays for over 6,000 flights nationwide. Burbank airport's flight control was briefly shut down and responsibilities were managed by another facility Nashville airport experienced delays of approximately two hours due to workforce challenges O'Hare Airport in Chicago recorded average delays of nearly three-quarters of an hour The DFW airport experienced delays logged at half an hour Industry Response and Labor Stance The primary air traffic controllers union emphasized that it does not endorse any organized actions that could negatively affect the National Airspace System. The union clarified that flight controllers take their responsibility to protect public safety extremely earnestly and participating in any work stoppage could lead to removal from federal service. Government Perspective The Transportation Department head the transportation official warned that the national flight control network is being harmed from the continuing federal closure. "They're not just thinking about the flight paths," he commented regarding flight controllers who are not receiving salaries. "They're concerned about, 'Am I going to get a paycheck'?" He noted that many controllers live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to manage prolonged durations without payment. Wider Consequences Based on emergency preparations, roughly 25% of the workforce, or over eleven thousand FAA employees, were temporarily laid off when the closure started last week. Nevertheless, 13,000 air traffic controllers remain on duty, with hiring and training also ongoing. Union president Nick Daniels indicated that the shutdown has highlighted preexisting issues faced by air traffic controllers, including workforce gaps and aging technology. He clarified that the situation is especially serious at smaller airports where limited staffing creates further difficulties. Regardless of the widespread delays, flight data indicated that roughly 92% of departures from American airports departed as scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would decrease the number of flights in and out of airports, suggesting that activities were continuing despite the difficulties.