FAA staffing issues delay New York flights

(CNN) — A shortage of air traffic controllers could delay flights in and out of airports around New York City by up to two hours on Monday night, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

“Due to staff availability tonight, aircraft flow must be reduced in certain New York City airspace to maintain safety,” the FAA said in a statement.

“Tonight’s departure and arrival delays could be nearly two hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airports.”

A published FAA advisory points to staffing issues at the New York Air Traffic Control Center, an air traffic control facility located 50 miles east of Manhattan on Long Island. According to the FAA’s advisory, the delay is expected from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM ET.

Airlines have cited staffing issues with air traffic controllers as the reason for this summer’s mass flight cancellations, but the FAA maintains that most of the delays are airlines’ fault.

According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, 48,000 U.S. flights were canceled between the Friday before Memorial Day on May 27 and August 14.

During that time, about 483,000 US flights were delayed. This represents about 24% of flights.

Bad weather this summer has exacerbated other operational challenges.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an interview with CNN last week that air traffic was disrupted by the weather over the recent weekend, but “shouldn’t have created such a ripple effect through the system.

Above: Travelers wait for their flight at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on July 1, 2022. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images)