The Federal Aviation Administration said staffing issues were causing delays at several airports, including Newark and Denver, on Monday, just hours after the top U.S. transportation official said air traffic controllers calling in sick had risen slightly since the government shutdown began.
Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must still turn up for work during the shutdown. They are not being paid and controllers are set to miss their first paycheck on October 14.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that at times, air traffic staffing has been cut by 50% in some areas since the shutdown started last week.
The FAA said air traffic control staffing issues are impacting flights at numerous airports, including Newark, Ph