Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters on day 23 of the government shutdown as he is joined by, from left, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, left, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walk through Statuary Hall at the Capitol to a news conference on day 23 of the government shutdown, in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters on day 23 of the government shutdown as he is joined by, from left, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n
The Federal Aviation Administration said flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted Sunday morning due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. <\/p>\n
The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy<\/a> predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed and canceled in the coming days as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown<\/a>. <\/p>\n During an appearance on the Fox News program \u201cSunday Morning Futures,\u201d Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job. <\/p>\n \u201cJust yesterday, … we had 22 staffing triggers. That\u2019s one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began. And that\u2019s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n