Delays at US airports as staff absences surge, aviation agency says

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for the last month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says

A "surge" in air traffic controllers calling out of work caused widespread delays in major US airports, a government aviation agency has said.

Half of the 30 major airports in the US were experiencing staff shortages, including in New York, where 80% of air traffic controllers were absent heading into the weekend, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay because of the US government shutdown, which is entering its second month.

"After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue," the agency said in a social media post.

Air traffic controllers, like other essential federal workers, are required to work without pay during the shutdown, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents.

The aviation agency called on lawmakers to end the shutdown so that workers "receive the pay they've earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays".

The FAA said the shortages mean it has had to reduce the flow of air traffic "to maintain safety".

"This may result in delays or cancellations," it added.

On Friday, about 6,000 flights within the US were delayed and nearly 500 were cancelled, according to FlightAware.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News that air traffic controllers were under a great deal of stress.

"These are people that oftentimes live paycheck to paycheck," he said. "They're concerned about gas in the car. They're concerned about child care and mortgages."

Lawmakers are at an impasse as a Republican-led bill to fund the government has failed to pass the Senate over a dozen times.

In exchange for re-opening the government, Democrats are seeking to extend tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans.

They are also calling for a reverse to President Donald Trump's cuts to Medicaid, a government healthcare programme used by millions of elderly, disabled and low-income people.