A temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport, caused by staffing shortages in Southern California airspace, has been lifted, according to an announcement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
This ground stop affected flights scheduled to depart from airspace managed by the Los Angeles and Oakland Air Traffic Control Centers, which were intended for Los Angeles International Airport. The temporary restrictions began around 8:27 a.m. local time and were initially expected to last until 10 a.m., though there was a possibility of extension.
Los Angeles World Airports reported that the ground stop commenced at approximately 8:45 a.m. and urged passengers to check with their airlines for potential delays or cancellations. Officials at the airport were unable to confirm immediately if staffing was indeed the underlying issue.
The disruptions also impacted Auckland International Airport, as noted by LAWA at that time.
A representative for LAX later confirmed that the ground stop was lifted around 10:30 a.m. due to staffing problems in Oakland, California.
The FAA indicated that delays accumulated to more than 900 minutes, with some flights experiencing waits of up to 87 minutes and an average delay of about 49 minutes.
The FAA mentioned that a specific plane heading to Los Angeles was held at its departure location, but this did not appear to result in ongoing issues at LAX. However, greater delays were reported at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, attributed to weather and equipment challenges, as noted by the aviation tracking service FlightAware.
This situation unfolded shortly after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of increased flight delays and cancellations in the days ahead, as air traffic controllers were working without pay during the federal government shutdown. During an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy mentioned that many controllers were expressing feelings of stress and illness stemming from their challenging jobs and financial concerns.
Additionally, disruptions in takeoff and arrival processes occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, as well as at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, due to a shortage of air traffic controllers per shift, according to the FAA.
Late into Sunday, the FAA further delayed traffic heading to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport because of staffing concerns among controllers.
