The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport on Oct. 29.
The ground stop was due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. It has since been lifted but as of 6:30 p.m. ET, a 40-minute ground delay remains in place.
“This is horrible and totally unnecessary,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on X.
“President [Donald] Trump continues to call on Democrats to vote for the clean CR to OPEN the government.”
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the government shutdown began Oct. 1, exacerbating the ongoing staffing shortages….