Travel nightmare at America's second-largest airport as staffing shortages cause flight delays

Travelers flying in or out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) are facing delays on Monday due to staffing shortages.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted the alert affects flights arriving at DFW until 9:59pm CT (10:59pm ET).

During this period, air traffic controllers have been assigned a program rate of 72 arrivals per hour, with average delays expected around 18 minutes and maximum delays possibly reaching 72 minutes. 

The staffing issues are impacting flights from major US airports, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, New York, Houston, Atlanta and other hubs. No Canadian departures are included in the delay program. 

The FAA alert notes that DFW is currently operating in south flow, meaning runways are aligned to accommodate winds from the south. 

Officials also said low 'pop-up' traffic and adjusted timing factors are being monitored to manage congestion.

Passengers are being advised to check with airlines for updated flight information before heading to the airport. 

Travelers should expect delays to be longer than usual, particularly during peak hours, and plan accordingly. 

DFW is the second-busiest airport in the US, handling thousands of passengers daily. 

The issues at the Texas airport occurred less than 24 hours after the FAA revealed that more than 8,000 flights were delayed on Sunday due to staffing shortages at 22 airports.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration experienced air traffic control staffing issues at 22 locations on Saturday, and added additional shortages were expected to lead to more flight delays and cancellations in the days ahead. 

According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, there were more than 8,000 US flight delays by 11pm ET on Sunday, an increase from about 5,300 on Saturday.

Delays have often been above average since the government shutdown began on October 1.

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work even though they are not being paid during the shutdown.

Increased air travel delays and cancellations are being closely watched as observers look for indications that the shutdown is making life harder for Americans. 

That, in turn, could pressure lawmakers to break the budget deadlock that led to the shutdown.

The FAA on Saturday had 22 'triggers' that indicated shortages of air traffic controllers, Duffy told the Fox News 'Sunday Morning Futures' program.

He said the figure was 'one of the highest that we've seen in the system' since October 1.

'That's a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,' Duffy said.

The FAA said ground delay programs had been issued because of staffing shortages on Sunday at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Washington's Reagan National Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. 

An earlier ground stop was issued at Los Angeles International Airport, but that was later withdrawn.

The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

Air traffic controllers received a paycheck two weeks ago at 90% of their regular pay. But Tuesday's payday would have been for their first pay period solely for work in October.

Controllers facing the prospect of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking," he said.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks even before the shutdown.

In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending wait times at some airport checkpoints. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington.