A ground stop has been issued at Chicago O’Hare International Airport due to staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA’s website states the ground stop began at 11.24am and was expected to remain until 12.45pm, because delays were averaging 15 minutes and steadily increasing.
Ground stops hold aircraft at their departure points to prevent air traffic systems from becoming overwhelmed, and they usually only last up to 30 minutes, according to the National Business Aviation Association.
They are also usually caused by factors such as severe weather or technical issues, but in this case, the stop was due to a staff shortage caused by the government shutdown.
The ground stop comes just one day after more than 1,000 flights were cancelled across the US, 100 of which were in Chicago.
Flight reductions took place in in 40 high-traffic airports across the country, including O’Hare International, which is the airport with the most routes in the US, particularly for domestic connections.
The ground stop was issued at 11.24am because flight delays were averaging 15 minutes and steadily rising
The ground stop comes just one day after more than 1,000 flights were cancelled across the US
More than 1,300 flights have reportedly been cancelled as of 2pm today, according to the flight-tracking website Flightaware.com. In Chicago, 83 flights have been cancelled at O’Hare and more than 300 delayed.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
