The shutdown has led to delays and cancellations of hundreds of flights across the country.

A shortage of air traffic controllers amid the government shutdown is leading to flight cancellations and delays across the country, reports ABC News.

The United States went into a government shutdown at midnight on October 1. During the government shutdown, some government services continue to operate because they are considered "essential services" or "exempt from the shutdown." Their work is legally guaranteed, even if wages are temporarily suspended. Air traffic controllers are among these services.

However, a week into the shutdown, flight delays and cancellations began to mount as air traffic controllers began taking sick leave and a number of control towers and flight control centers lacked the staff to properly handle all flights.

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The air traffic control tower over Nashville International Airport was operating with extremely limited personnel on October 7, forcing some inbound traffic to be diverted to the air traffic control center in Memphis, Tennessee.

On the evening of October 7, the average delay for flights arriving and departing from Nashville exceeded 2 hours.

Dallas and Chicago also experienced flight delays on October 7 due to staffing shortages.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notifications, the average flight delay in Dallas is about 30 minutes, and in Chicago it is approximately 40 minutes.

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Dispatchers are considered essential workers and are therefore not subject to unpaid leave during the government shutdown. According to the Department of Transportation's plan, approximately 13,294 dispatchers will continue to work without pay during the shutdown.

Senator Lisa Murkowski said she is working with the administration to find a solution to the air traffic controller problem.

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