Copyright NBC 5 Chicago
Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report. A ground stop was issued at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago due to the staffing amid the government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday morning. The FAA said on its website a ground stop began at 11:24 a.m. and was expected to remain in effect until 12:45 p.m. Delays were average 15 minutes and increasing, according to the agency. The ground stop comes one day after more than 2,000 flights were canceled nationwide, including over 100 in Chicago, as flight reductions took effect at 40 high-traffic airports, including Midway and O'Hare. The decision to reduce service at “high-volume” markets by is meant to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the shutdown. It also comes as the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown. “With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned with the system’s ability to maintain the current volume of operations,” the order reads. Track flight delays and cancellations at Midway and O'Hare airports here. Local Airlines said they would try to minimize impact on customers, some of whom will see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice. The airlines will be required to issue full refunds but not to cover secondary costs such as food and hotel accommodations unless a delay or cancellation results from a contributing factor that is within the control of the airlines, according to the Department of Transportation. The past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown. From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an AP analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, was well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.
