CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are experiencing delays caused by staffing shortages.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay alert on Saturday. The average delay was 98 minutes with some flights being delayed as much as two hours and 25 minutes.
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Many of the people who spoke to us for WSB Tonight said they were waiting on flights that had been pushed to Sunday. Some said they are trying to stay positive while dealing with the frustration of the delays.
“A lot of people got places to get to and they’re upset, tired, hungry. All the above,” Garrick Goodman told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter.
“The shortages are hurting everyone really. It’s delaying whether you got to go to work or you want to get to your vacation. It’s hurting everyone’s lives,” Lois Fowler said.
Fowler is a former flight attendant. She knows how much this is also impacting other airport staff.
“It’s a lot of pressure. They’re trying to hold a straight face, serve the customers at the same time but in the back of your mind. You’re thinking about the stress of handling a flight here and there in less then an hour that should’ve been gone three or four hours ago,” she told Kleinpeter.
The delays come as the government shutdown drags on, putting more pressure on air traffic controllers and TSA agents who have been working without pay for a month.
On Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that travelers will see more flight disruptions in connection to the shutdown.
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