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Travelers throughout America are preparing for increasing delays as airport staffing shortages continue to worsen during the current government closure, now reaching its seventh day.

Escalating Worries Over Air Travel Network

Union representatives for air traffic controllers and security screeners have warned that the situation is expected to worsen, with workforce issues reported at several major airports including facilities in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia.

"The risk of broader effects to the American air travel network is growing by the day," commented aviation expert Henry Harteveldt.

He expressed serious worry that if the shutdown continues, it could potentially disrupt countless American Thanksgiving travel plans in November.

Travel Disruptions and Operational Issues

Staffing shortages, featuring an increased rate of workers taking sick leave, impacted major airports around Denver, Los Angeles and New York on Monday, causing delays for over 6,000 flights across the country.

• The Burbank facility's air traffic control was temporarily closed and responsibilities were managed by another facility
• Nashville airport experienced postponements averaging 120 minutes due to staffing issues
• O'Hare Airport in Chicago showed average delays of 41 minutes
• The DFW airport had postponements recorded at 30 minutes

Sector Reaction and Union Position

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association emphasized that it does not endorse any coordinated activities that could adversely impact the National Airspace System.

The union stated that air traffic controllers value their duty to protect public safety extremely earnestly and participating in any job action could lead to removal from federal service.

Official Viewpoint

The Transportation Department head Sean Duffy alerted that the national flight control network is being harmed from the ongoing government shutdown.

"They aren't only thinking about the airspace," he remarked regarding air traffic controllers who are not receiving salaries. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a salary'?"

He noted that many controllers depend on regular income and cannot afford prolonged durations without compensation.

Wider Consequences

According to emergency preparations, roughly 25% of the employees, or more than 11,000 FAA employees, were furloughed when the shutdown began last week.

Nevertheless, 13,000 air traffic controllers remain on duty, with recruitment and instruction also ongoing.

Labor leader Nick Daniels indicated that the closure has highlighted existing challenges encountered by air traffic controllers, including workforce gaps and aging technology.

He explained that the situation is especially serious at smaller airports where reduced personnel creates additional challenges.

Regardless of the widespread delays, flight data showed that approximately 92% of flights departing from US airports departed as scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would reduce the flight volume in and out of airports, indicating that activities were continuing despite the difficulties.