Ground Stop at LAX: Air Traffic Controllers Hit Hard by Shutdown

Wed Oct 29 2025 03:16:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility led to a temporary grounding of flights to Los Angeles International Airport. This comes amid a federal government shutdown, affecting air traffic controllers across the country.

Flights to Los Angeles International Airport were grounded on Sunday morning due to a staffing shortage linked to the federal government shutdown. The FAA reported delays averaging an hour and 40 minutes, with staffing issues also impacting flights at other airports. Transportation Secretary advised travelers to expect more delays as controllers face increased stress during this challenging time.

On Sunday morning, flights headed for Los Angeles International Airport were put on hold due to a staffing shortage at an air traffic control facility in Southern California. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a temporary ground stop, affecting one of the busiest airports in the world.

This situation arose as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of potential delays and cancellations in the days to come, attributing the issues to the federal government shutdown. He explained that air traffic controllers are currently working without pay, overwhelming them with added stress.

In his appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Duffy shared alarming statistics regarding staffing levels, noting that there were 22 staffing triggers reported, indicating significant strain on controllers. That’s one of the highest numbers we've seen since the shutdown began, he stated.

As the ground stop was issued at 11:42 a.m. Eastern time, planes faced average delays of an hour and 40 minutes before the FAA expected to resume normal operations by 1:30 p.m., although they hinted that traffic restrictions might still apply.

The staffing crisis also led to disruptions at other airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, according to the FAA.