Nashville International Airport became the latest U.S. airport to report a ground delay Friday due to a shortage of air traffic control staff.
The shortage comes amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has forced federal employees — including Federal Aviation Administration workers — to work without pay.
The FAA said the ground delay began at 10 a.m. and is expected to end at 4:59 p.m. local time. The airport advised travelers to check their flight status and contact their airlines before arriving.
FlightAware reported that 22% of departures from Nashville were delayed, while 25% of arrivals faced delays.
The delays in Nashville followed significant disruptions Thursday at Orlando International Airport. The Florida airport reported fewer delays Friday.
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Officials acknowledge the strain the shutdown has put on air traffic control workers.
“I’ve been clear to our air traffic controllers: they need to show up for work. They do really important work for our country and they need to show up, but I’m not going to lie and say they’re not feeling the stress,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier this week. “Many are the heads of households, the only income earners in their homes, and they have families. The fact that they’re having a hard time paying their bills is deeply concerning.”The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said there was already a shortage of controllers before the shutdown.
Union President Nick Daniels warned the stakes continue to rise with each missed paycheck.
“Many are already working six days a week, and now they are facing the impossible choice of taking on extra jobs just to feed their families,” Daniels said. “Meanwhile, Congress is leading us toward what could be the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, and introducing risk into an already fragile system.”
