US: Ground stop lifted at New York's LaGuardia Airport January 25 /update 4

Event

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted a ground stop on inbound flights to New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) as of roughly 10:45 (local time) on Friday, January 25. Officials briefly halted inbound flights at 10:00 amid a shortage of air traffic controllers. The FAA has implemented a Traffic Management Program which is causing delays of 90 minutes at LGA.

Staff shortages have also reportedly caused flight delays at Washington's Reagan National Airport (DCA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) as of Friday morning.

Continued absences are expected at these and other American airports in the coming days or weeks if the ongoing partial US federal government shutdown is not resolved. Delays and congestion are possible at airport security checkpoints until the shutdown is resolved.

Context

The US federal government is partially shut down due to a failure to pass a budget resolution. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are among those who are expected to continue to work without pay during the shutdown.

Advice

Individuals traveling by plane in the US in the coming days and weeks are advised to monitor the situation and anticipate delays and crowded conditions at airport security checkpoints.