Despite efforts on several fronts to stop or at least postpone the FAA's furloughs of air traffic controllers, which are mandated by the federal budget sequester, the staffing cuts began on Sunday. By midafternoon on Monday, delays up to three hours had been reported at major airports in New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, but it wasn't clear to what extent a shortage in controller staffing could be blamed for any particular delay. "The delays could have been worse had the controllers not stayed after their shifts at key facilities like LAX Tower and Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control," said NATCA in a statement on Monday. "Controllers did their jobs yesterday by keeping things moving safely, and as best they could manage during these unusual circumstances, efficiently."
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/atc-sequester-furloughs-now-in-effect