Travel disruptions continued Tuesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as staffing shortages resulting from the ongoing government shutdown led to hundreds more delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first warned that limited staff would cause incoming flights to be delayed on Monday.
But as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, more than 270 flights were delayed and two were cancelled outright. That's down from 607 cancelled flights yesterday.
By Tuesday afternoon, several travelers said they are feeling the delays firsthand, whether it was dealing with longer waiting times, missed connections or rearranged plans.
Jorge Cabrera Arroyo flew into DFW from Newark, New Jersey and said his flight was delayed nearly 90 minutes, which forced him to adjust his plans after he missed a connecting flight.
“It’s a major inconvenience, because I have people waiting for me,” said Arroyo. “There wasn't much communication. They didn't tell us until the last hour. By then, I've already missed the flight.”
Other travelers said they weren't impacted by the delays and had a smooth experience.
Tim Hernandez flew in from Fresno, California and said he was surprised everything ran on time, despite the news of nationwide disruptions.
“I flew in and got out at 8 a.m. and arrived on time here at 1:05,” Hernandez said. “So I had no delays and everything’s going good. Hopefully it goes as smooth as it is now.”
Although he wasn't warned of any delays, Hernandez is still worried about the second leg of his trip to Houston, Texas.
For Dallas resident Kat Johnson, the airport delays are pushing back family plans. Johnson was there to pick up her sister, who was flying in from Portland, Oregon, but found out the flight was delayed by two hours.
“Maybe we’re going to hit traffic now and just delay planning for our trip,” Johnson said. “So, it’s just getting later and later and, so the planning’s all off.”
The FAA says when controller shortages occur, it slows air traffic into major airports to maintain safety. Officials have warned that if the shutdown continues, more delays and cancellations could follow as controllers go unpaid.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org.
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