Major delays at LAX, San Diego airport amid air traffic control shortages

Two of Southern California’s busiest airports experienced flight delays of at least an hour Sunday amid a shortage of air traffic control workers due to the federal government shutdown.

The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisory said the delay would last through Sunday night.

The consultants said the issue was related to “personnel”. For San Diego, the advisory identified the issue with “tower workers.”

At San Diego International Airport, delays were expected to increase to approximately 1½ hours for flights to LAX between 8 and 10 p.m., with delays expected to worsen to approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes between 9 and 10 p.m.

The only other airport nationwide with a ground delay advisory was in New Jersey, where the situation was still dire. Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed an average of more than 3 1/2 hours, an advisory said. Between 7 and 8 p.m. ET, delays of 4½ hours were expected on average.

After the federal government shut down on October 1, the FAA warned of disruptions at airports due to staffing shortages.

Air traffic controllers are required to work without pay when the federal government shuts down and will not receive back pay until Congress reaches an agreement on the budget.

Airports across the country have been experiencing staff shortages in their air traffic control towers since the shutdown began.

Times staff writer Stacey Perman contributed to this report.