US government shutdown halts air traffic control, planes stranded for hours

The United States (U.S.) government shutdown has resulted in a halt of operations at air traffic control tower in Nashville resulting in flight chaos and leaving planes stranded for hours.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that due to shortage of staff to operate the tower, the Nashville International Airport will face disruptions starting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.

It is expected to disrupt the flight operation, possibly resulting in major delays and ground stops, with the FAA stating, “Ground delay has already backed up flights by more than two hours at the airport.”

The airport authorities have announced that the closure of ATC tower will remain effective until further notice, adding that travellers are advised to check the status of their flights with their respective airline before getting to the airport.

Reacting to the development, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, said, “If we see issues in the tower affecting controllers’ ability to safely manage airspace, we’ll reduce the rate, leading to more delays or cancellations.”

White House has also halted all public communication since the shutdown. Upon contacting, an automatic reply puts the responsibility of shutdown on Democrats.

The message states: “Due to staff shortages resulting from the Democrat Shutdown, the typical 24/7 monitoring of this press inbox may experience delays.”