Shutdown Causing Flight Delays Out Of LaGuardia

A shortage of air traffic controllers due the partial government shutdown is the US is causing delayed flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Flights are also reportedly delayed at several other major airports, including Newark and Philadelphia.

An increase in sick leave among air traffic controllers is causing the delays at several major East Coast airports, according the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The FAA had briefly halted flights into LaGuardia and some arriving flights were delayed almost an hour and a half. By early afternoon, delays had moderated at Philadelphia and Newark.

A spike in the absences of Transportation Security Administration screeners has also led to longer lines at some of the US’s busiest airports.