Flight delays, cancellations continue to pile up at Atlanta airport during government shutdown

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Flight delays and cancellations continue to pile up at the world’s busiest airport.

There were at least 128 reported on Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

It prompted travelers to sound off about the government shutdown, which is to blame.

“So far, I haven’t experienced any personal delays, but anybody that works should get paid, and the frustration that these people must have has to be astronomic. How do you support your families, how do you buy groceries and that what not,” traveler John Nichols said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a surge in air traffic controllers calling out last Friday strained staffing at many airports and led to flight delays nationwide.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussed the issue during a nationally televised interview.

“I think it’s only going to get worse,” Duffy said. “We have controllers who – some of them are new controllers. We have trainee controllers who are very helpful in the tower. They don’t make a lot of money.”

Duffy said some controllers have called in sick in protest, while others are taking time off to work other jobs while not getting paid.

Atlanta News First spoke with two flight attendants on Monday about the ongoing issue.

“How long is it fair to expect them to show up at a job that they’re not getting paid for? How long is it reasonable for them to start looking for compensation elsewhere? And I think that it’s something that we are feeling as air crew every single day,” Delta flight attendant Kara Wargo said.

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“What’s happening right now must stop,” said Keturah Johnson, vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants International. “And for those people who are frustrated when they’re waiting in line in TSA, you know what, call your congresspeople.”

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