Thousands of flights are being delayed daily in the US due to the shutdown.

Air travel problems in the US have worsened, with more than 5600 flights delayed across the country on October 27 as the number of air traffic controllers has been drastically reduced and the government has been closed since October 1, the website writes. KSL.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited staffing shortages and implemented flight delay programs affecting Newark Airport in New Jersey, Austin Airport in Texas, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Previously, flight delays in the southeast were caused by significant staffing shortages at the Atlanta airport's radar control center.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are forced to work without pay after budget disputes between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats forced a government shutdown.

On the subject: Americans will no longer receive food stamp benefits due to the shutdown.

The Trump administration has warned that air travel disruptions will worsen as air traffic controllers will not receive any pay at all for the first time on October 28.

More than 8800 flights were delayed on October 26.

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, Southwest Airlines had 47% of its flights (2089) delayed that day, American Airlines had 36% (1277), United Airlines had 27% (807), and Delta Air Lines had 21% (725).

As of 5 p.m. Mountain Time on October 27, Southwest had 31% of its flights delayed, American had 24%, Delta had 18%, and United had 12%, FlightAware reports.

According to a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, 44% of delays on October 26 were due to unavailable dispatchers. This is a sharp increase from the typical 5%.

The growing number of flight delays and cancellations is fueling public anger and heightening scrutiny of the impact of the government shutdown, increasing pressure on lawmakers to address the situation.

On October 27, DOT Commissioner Sean Duffy was in Cleveland meeting with air traffic controllers. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union plans to hold protests at several airports on October 28 to draw attention to the first missed payday.

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The FAA is short-staffed by approximately 3500 air traffic controllers, and many of them were already working six days a week, even overtime, before the shutdown.

During the 35-day government shutdown in 2019, the number of absentee TSA dispatchers and employees increased as they went unpaid. This led to longer wait times at some airport checkpoints. Authorities were forced to restrict air travel in New York and Washington.

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