PHOENIX (AZFamily\/AP)<\/b> \u2014 Air traffic controllers will miss their first full paychecks this week as the government shutdown continues to strain air travel operations.<\/p>\n
The missed paychecks come after a weekend of staffing problems at airports across the country that caused thousands of delays nationwide.<\/p>\n
Travelers flying this week may still see on-time flights, but delays remain possible as the shutdown continues.<\/p>\n
Weekend delays hit thousands of flights<\/p>\n
Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Monday. That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick.<\/p>\n
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said staffing shortages led to major delays at airports over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The agency reported staffing-related delays<\/a> on Monday afternoon averaging about 20 minutes at the Dallas airport and about 40 minutes at both Newark Liberty International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The delays in Austin followed a brief ground stop at the airport, meaning flights were held at their originating airports until the FAA lifted the stop around 4:15 p.m. local time.<\/p>\n The FAA also warned of staffing issues at a facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that could cause some problems.<\/p>\n According to FlightAware<\/a>, Saturday saw 5,425 flights delayed across the United States. Sunday was worse, with 8,811 delays. On Sunday morning, the FAA issued a ground stop at LAX in California for flights departing to Oakland due to a shortage of controllers.<\/p>\n Monday brought more than 7,000 flight delays, though some were weather-related.<\/p>\n Phoenix staffing levels above average<\/p>\n Nearly 300 flights were delayed in and out of Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix on Monday.<\/p>\n Phoenix is relatively well-staffed with air traffic controllers compared to other major airports. As of earlier this month, Phoenix had about 90 air traffic controllers. Full staffing is 95.<\/p>\n While Phoenix is better off than many big airports, it does not have extras. When someone calls out sick, it forces others to work more.<\/p>\n The added hours and stress on top of no pay led to some air traffic controllers calling out sick during the last shutdown nearly 7 years ago.<\/p>\n Phoenix air traffic also relies on guidance from Albuquerque, which saw staffing issues this month.<\/p>\n If you are flying out this week, be sure to check your flight status often before you head out.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n