A staffing shortage in Southern California’s airspace led to a temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 26, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The restriction affected departing flights from Oakland, California, and went into effect at around 8:45 a.m. local time, according to an FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisory. The order was lifted at about 10:30 a.m., but the FAA had warned that there was a chance of extension.
The ground stop only impacted flights between Los Angeles and Oakland, but travelers experienced a total of over 900 minutes in delays, the FAA said in its advisory. Average flight delays were around 49 minutes, and some flights were delayed for up to 87 minutes, according to the FAA.
After flights were resumed, the FAA said it was likely delays could continue and that travelers were advised to monitor the status of their flights. The temporary ground stop came after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight disruptions would increase in the coming days, as air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Oct. 28 amid the federal government shutdown.
Duffy told Fox News’