A ground stop was issued at Newark Airport on Sunday morning over staffing issues as the government shutdown continues to cripple the nation.
The New Jersey airport, which sees nearly 1,200 of flights coming in and out every day, issued the advisory in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The delay is expected to last through 12.59pm on Monday, which will derail hundreds of travelers’ plans.
There are currently 89 delayed and 30 cancelled flights out of Newark. Some arriving flights are facing two hour delays, according to Flightaware.
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Newark is approximately the eighth busiest airport in the country, and serves about 50 carriers.
The ground stop comes after several airports across the US have faced massive staffing crises forced by the government shutdown, which began on October 1.
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers have been required to work without pay.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the stop for Newark between 7am and 8.45am, citing the impacting condition as a ‘staffing’ issue.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke out this morning about the ongoing delays across the US.
The New Jersey airport, which sees hundreds of flights coming in and out every day, issued the advisory in the early hours of Sunday morning
Stock image: Travelers stand in line at the check-in counter at Spirit Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport on June 30
The airport is approximately the eighth busiest airport in the country , and serves about 50 carriers
‘I’ve been talking to air traffic controllers and there really is frustration. There’s a shutdown right now, the democrats are focusing on illegal healthcare,’ he told ABC.
‘They don’t get paid as air traffic controllers. Those are burning frustrations, like in the rest of the country.’
Duffy added that ‘safety is his top priority’ and the administration will ‘delay’ and ‘cancel any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe.’
‘There is a level of risk when we have a controller doing two jobs instead of one. We manage and look out for it.’
He reemphasized safety as the top priority for traveling Americans.
The Ground Delay Program – an air traffic management plan – is expected to be implemented at Newark if delays are continued.
The probability of extension was ranked at ‘medium level,’ meaning the ground stop may remain for a few more hours, derailing morning traveler’s flight plans.
This is not the first time this week that Newark has been shut down over staffing issues. On October 29, delays lasted nearly 90 minutes at the airport.
Furious travelers who were preparing to fly out of the airport on Sunday morning expressed their rage at the ground stop.
One person wrote on X: ‘Newark Airport is the biggest joke on the planet,’ while another added: ‘Newark Airport count your days.’
Another user slammed the current administration, writing: ‘Took forever to get through Newark airport customs last night there’s like nobody working.’
On Halloween, thousands of flights were delayed due to severe weather and staffing shortages resulting from the government shutdown.
Ground delays were issued across Orlando MCO, Austin-Bergstrom Airport and Nashville International Airport due to an air traffic control staffing shortage.
As of 3pm ET on Friday, 3,437 flights within, into or out of the United States have been delayed and 331 canceled, according to Flight Aware.
On Thursday, 7,250 flights were delayed and 1,249 were canceled across the country.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded in Orlando last night after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced there would be ‘no certified controllers for a period of time’, which would ‘prevent landings’ at Orlando Airport, the closest major airport to both Disney World and Universal Studios.
On October 24, chaos unfolded at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and San Diego Airport when unpaid air traffic controllers abandoned their towers.
And the issue plaguing American airports is set to continue – with even more flight interruptions expected after Congress failed to provide last-minute relief for air-traffic controllers and other federal aviation workers.
John F Kennedy Airport was among the giant international airports facing ground delays due to alarming weather and staffing crises on Friday.
The city’s emergency management office wrote that JFK Airport – as well as LaGuardia – were under traffic restrictions.
JFK was under a full ground stop until midnight because of staff shortages, while further delays were caused by extreme windy conditions.
The shortages are sparking outrage among Republicans, as Vice President JD Vance warned on Thursday that holiday air travel could become a ‘disaster’ if the shutdown is not resolved.
‘What happens when the security lines are not an hour long, but they’re four hours long?
‘What happens when pilots start not showing up for work because they’re so focused on paying the bills, they can’t fly the plane safely? That’s going to lead to massive delays,’ he said.
Vance added that federal workers missing paychecks could fail to show up for work, further straining airport operations.
