FAA halts flights into La Guardia amid staffing shortages, shutdown

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: The Hill

The Federal Aviation Administration halted flights into La Guardia airport in New York City on Friday amid a shortage of air traffic control staff.

Severe delays were also being reported at Newark International and Philadelphia International airports as air traffic controllers work without pay amid the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.

The FAA's website highlighted long delays at all three airports, which its website connected to staffing shortages.

Newark International Airport was experiencing delays of 45 to 59 minutes, according to the FAA, while delays at Philadelphia International were between one hour and one minute, and one hour and 15 minutes.



Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/426950-faa-halting-flights-into-laguardia

[Dennis Donovan]

1. Holy shit!!!

LGA is a VERY busy airport. This is going to cause some hurt...

[Arkansas Granny]

2. This should be interesting. I wonder how long Trump can hold out now.

NO WALL!

[liberalmuse]

3. My boss is flying home today.

Hopefully he’s going through JFK.

[maxrandb]

12. If it was my boss, I'm hoping it's through Leguardia LOL

[Renew Deal]

13. lol

[liberalmuse]

14. Haha!

We’ll, he’s based in NY, away from our office. LG is the closest major airport to where one of our offices is.

[47of74]

49. I prefer LaGuardia

I know it’s older but it seemed to me that it takes forever to get to or from JFK.

[Girard442]

4. First domino.

[MissB]

16. yup

this should put some pressure on the republican senators.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. My first thought upon reading the headline was that some numbskull was flying a drone nearby.

Last edited Fri Jan 25, 2019, 02:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Hat tip, Dennis Donovan, for reminding that LGA is the FAA designator.

KLGA LaGuardia Airport

Edited to add:

Fortunately for the President, a news cycle about his persistent connections to blundering criminality came along to distract from the more harmful series of news cycles about his manifest incompetence.

Link to tweet

[Skinner]

6. This is the beginning of the end of the shutdown.

If airports start shutting down across the country like dominoes then Republicans in the senate are going to jump ship.

[volstork]

9. I hope you are correct.

Impacting air traffic will truly shut down every aspect of this country: delivery of food, medical supplies to hospitals, industrial supplies, fuel, military supplies.

[cstanleytech]

30. The Repugnants wont have much choice but to end their shutdown as it will piss off alot of people

regardless of their party to be forced to sit with their thumbs up their ass at airports.

[PatSeg]

38. And the poor republican senators

and congress critters won't be able to fly home. They are sure to abandon the Trump train if they get stuck in DC. This is how to make the shutdown directly affect them.

[RobinA]

43. Don't Forget

the real motivator, profits to corporations.

[lagomorph777]

58. The only airport shutdown effect that matters: When Senators can't fly home.

Then they will give a shit about it.

[MissB]

18. yeppers

You can't hurt business like this and expect no backlash.

I'm hoping it happens this weekend - those federal workers need their paychecks by Feb 1.

[suffragette]

60. You called it!

[Squinch]

7. The roger stone news was big, but this is bigger.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Correction: FAA halts some arriving traffic into LaGuardia Airport amid shortage of air traffic cont

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/faa-halts-traffic-into-laguardia-airport-amid-shortage-of-tsa-workers.html

Even if it is just "some" traffic right now, this situation is rapidly deteriorating. Trump's hand is being forced.

ETA: Will Trump use this as his excuse for a national emergency?

[Dennis Donovan]

11. Rapidly deteriorating is correct. This will snowball quickly

[greymattermom]

10. If this isn't over soon

they will ground stop ATL for the Super Bowl.

[bdamomma]

20. this will be the straw to break the camel's back.

those owners and networks will definitely loose big money.

this has some evil implications for all of us.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. Now that could be interesting.

The teams arrive on chartered jets, so I suppose the FAA could somehow insure that they can fly. But thousands of fans won't be able to get there.

And for those of you who are tempted to make a scornful post about how you never watch football or any professional sports, that's okay. Save your typing fingers. Personally I won't be watching the Super Bowl either, because the team I wanted didn't make it all the way. Oh, well. Next year maybe.

It's also obvious that terrorists simply do not understand American culture and our collective obsession with sports. I've been wanting to write a story about a terrorist group remains very patient, and waits for the next time the Washington Redskins (or whatever name they might go by in the future) are in the Super Bowl. I'd have them invade at the very beginning of the game, and if the Redskins won, no one in charge would figure out what had happened until the next day, maybe longer. Wish I were a better writer.

[DownriverDem]

15. Flying folks

are going to go insane.

[NurseJackie]

17. There will be a huge "ripple-effect".

[MissB]

21. yep. Like an accident on a freeway at rush hour.

You can slow down one airport without affecting outgoing and inbound flights at others.

[NurseJackie]

27. And in the same way that one accident results in other impatient and careless drivers...

And in the same way that one accident results in other impatient and careless drivers causing other accidents along the way... this shutdown will likely INCREASE the risks at other airports as flights and passengers are diverted and flights rebooked.

The FAA has zeroed-out the risks at LaGuardia, but those risks are simply MOVED to other airports... and now THOSE airports have an increased possibility of some catastrophe because of understaffed control towers, and distracted-overworked controllers.

Along with the understaffed and overworked-distracted TSA agents, it won't be long before Trump is dealing with his own nationwide 9-11/Katrina.

I pray every day. (But I'm not going to tell you what my prayers are.)

[obamanut2012]

25. It has started -- as I posted down thread

My father is at PBI (West Palm Beach) now and said they are delaying flights there. That is a smaller airport, but it is busy, with a lot of direct flights to the Northeast and DC, and a decent amount of rich people at the private area. Private jets use ATC, too.

[47of74]

50. Wouldn't surprise me if airports here in Iowa are affected too

Last month issues at DFW caused delays in Iowa the following day. Wouldn’t surprise me if our flights to and from ORD get delayed or cancelled now.

[obamanut2012]

59. Oh no, I hope not!

[dalton99a]

19. Kick

[bottomofthehill]

22. It just got real

Partial Shutdown will end soon

[obamanut2012]

23. Remember: UPS, Fed Ex, rich people's private planes

All use ATCs and airports.

[obamanut2012]

24. Ripple effect to smaller airports is starting

My father is at PBI (West Palm Beach) RIGHT NOW and said they are delaying flights there. That is a smaller airport, but it is busy, with a lot of direct flights to the Northeast and DC, and a decent amount of rich people at the private area. Private jets use ATC, too.

[marybourg]

26. Let's not forget that Raygun sent in

military air traffic controllers when he fired the striking civilian ones.

[Cold War Spook]

28. Watching this on CNN.

Planes flying into La Guardia and Newark from other airports on the East Coast are not allowed to take off. These airports are not closed, they just can't have planes taking off as usual. Planes that are taking off from the West coast are okay because they should have room for them by the time they get there. I hope they don't and these plane have to land in the mid-West. I do not want to see any accidents. If the whole East coast shuts down it will cause havoc.

[oberliner]

29. FAA has lifted the ground stop at LGA, allowing inbound flights to resume

Link to tweet

[uppityperson]

32. Thank you for continuing to tell us things are not as bad as they seem to be. You are a treasure. Nt

[oberliner]

33. Huh?

I don't understand what that comment means.

[uppityperson]

36. What don't you understand? Nt

[Squinch]

55. Maybe watch the WHOLE video and it will become clear.

[obamanut2012]

34. I know

So obvious.

[oberliner]

37. What do you mean by this?

I don't understand what you are saying.

Wouldn't people want to be updated on the ground stop being lifted?

[obamanut2012]

41. Wut?

[LanternWaste]

56. That seems to be one of your most consistent themes

"I don't understand what you are saying."
It's not really difficult to understand other people... if you actually want to.

If your narrative is predicated on not understanding the obvious however, well... I get that too.

[yardwork]

46. Hi there! We see you.

[lapucelle]

51. How very reassuring.

[elmac]

35. capitalst sphincters just got tighter around the country nt

[Kurt V.]

57. you called it. and wa la. gov't open.

[Quayblue]

39. From LaGuardia's Twitter:

Link to tweet

?s=20

I was supposed to fly out 2 days ago and was refunded due to delays.

Glad I stayed home.

[turbinetree]

40. The "Professionals" in the "OUR" Aviation Industry have warned everyone

what is happening, and this country has two assholes, playing some game of who blinks first.................along with 44 other republicans thinking of just themselves..................we will not forget..................ever....................if anything where to happen it is on your watch, this has now become a flight safety issue ..........................no one else, it was on your watch for some petty wall.......................

November 3, 2020 cannot get here fast enough

[PJMcK]

53. Your post is very confusing

You wrote, "...this country has two assholes, playing some game of who blinks first..."

Which two assholes? Since the conflict seems to be between Speaker Pelosi and Trump, are you suggesting that the Speaker is an asshole? That's what you've written.

Your clarification is appreciated.

[47of74]

61. I think the poster was referring to Herr Orange and Bitch McFuckstick

I could be wrong so prompt clarification would be appreciated.

[SCVDem]

42. I bet the shipping ports are short of inspectors also!

Who will inspect those containers for caravans being shipped in from China or Korea?

Close the ports! That is where most contraband arrives, not the border

Shut down the country completely and impeach donnie! Pence also!

Madam President.... Nancy Pelosi.

[trof]

44. It was only a matter of time.

[yardwork]

45. Wow. This is Hugh.

[llmart]

47. I'm guessing that Trump is spending most of his day trying to wriggle out of the corner he's in.

He's trying to find a way to not look like Nancy wins, but that's not going to happen. I'm sure the Repugs are giving him a piece of their mind. McConnell too since his ratings are in the toilet.

[Kurt V.]

48. who is the secretary of transportation?

hmmm.

[lapucelle]

52. Shame on all the Republicans in the House and Senate who voted against re-opening the government.

Republican ideologues and their allies need to put self-interest to the side and do the right thing for their communities and our country.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

54. For the second day in a row, @TSA has halted posting the delay times and "sick out" data.

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

For the second day in a row, @TSA has halted posting the delay times and "sick out" data. This information has been studied very closely by the White House as they monitor how the shutdown is impacting air travel.

Link to tweet