US Flights to LAX Halted Amid Air Traffic Controller Shortage

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES) Flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport were halted for nearly two hours on Sunday after a critical shortage of air traffic controllers triggered a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop. The FAA ordered aircraft headed to LAX to remain at their departure airports beginning at 11:42 a.m. Eastern Time on October 26, 2025, citing thin staffing at a Southern California air traffic facility.

The ground stop was lifted at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, but delays continued into the afternoon as the staffing strain did not ease.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the government shutdown had pushed the system to its limits, with controllers working without pay and absenteeism climbing. He noted a record 22 staffing “triggers” the day before, a warning sign that shortages would spill into operations. Average delays reached about 1 hour and 40 minutes, according to FAA advisories, and some passengers waited up to 87 minutes to depart or land as crews reset the flow of traffic.

The halt at LAX rippled nationwide. Major hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, and Ronald Reagan Washington National reported slowdowns tied to the same workforce pressures. While most official updates and airline alerts pointed to widespread disruption, an LAX spokesperson told Straight Arrow News that only one flight was delayed and linked the issue to Oakland, not Los Angeles. That claim stood at odds with the FAA and several major outlets, which documented broader delays and the official LAX-bound ground stop.

What happened and why it matters

At the center is a simple, stark cause: too few qualified air traffic controllers on duty to safely handle normal traffic levels. During the shutdown, controllers must continue working without pay. Over time, missed paychecks and job stress have meant more sick calls and staffing gaps.

When a control facility cannot staff all positions, the FAA reduces traffic to keep safety margins intact. On Sunday, that meant pausing inbound flights to one of the world’s busiest airports while managers spaced traffic and reassigned duties.

For travelers, the timing stung. The Sunday morning window in Los Angeles lines up with transcontinental arrivals, Mexico and Canada connections, and the first wave of long-haul international departures. Families returning from school breaks, workers making Monday meetings, and visitors on tight visa timelines all felt the squeeze.

Airlines urged customers to check status often and arrive earlier than usual. Some carriers offered fee waivers for voluntary changes as crews and aircraft fell out of position.

Ongoing effects and what to expect

Although the immediate ground stop ended by early afternoon, the system needed hours to recover. When a facility reduces capacity, later flights bunch up, crews time out, and equipment is not where it should be.

As of October 27, 2025, the FAA warned that staffing shortages remain unresolved and more delays are possible at LAX and other major airports. There is no firm timeline for a full return to normal. The agency continues to meter traffic when needed to protect safety.

For official operational updates, travelers can monitor the FAA’s real-time advisories page, which posts current ground stops, flow controls, and delay programs across the network. See the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisories for current measures and expected impacts: FAA advisories.

Why recovery is slow

• Training new air traffic controllers takes years, and rehiring backlogs cannot be solved quickly.
• A single understaffed control facility can slow a large region of airspace.
• Missed paychecks during a shutdown increase absenteeism and reduce retention.
• Bunched flights create cascading problems: crews exceed duty limits, planes and parts are out of place, and gate/ground resources become mismatched.

“When a shutdown stops paychecks and adds stress, retention suffers. The result is a thinner roster at key facilities, forcing traffic managers to choose between delay and risk. The FAA chose delay, as it must, to keep the system safe.”

Impacts on passengers, immigration, and airport operations

Airlines and local airport teams tried to keep passengers moving, but staffing shortages upstream limited what they could do.

• Ground handling teams reported surges at some gates while others waited for delayed aircraft.
• Immigration queues fluctuated with the irregular arrival pattern.
• Customs and Border Protection processed flights in waves as they landed out of sequence.

For people on immigration timelines, even a short ground stop can cause real stress. Missed connections may push arrivals past late-night curfews or force next-day entries, which can affect plans tied to interviews, classes, or jobs. While a delayed entry does not change your visa expiration date, it can shift other deadlines tied to your status.

Families faced tough choices: some parents landed at alternative airports with no same-day way to reach Los Angeles, while others sat on airport floors trying to rebook on flights with few open seats. For crews, the shortage meant longer duty days that risked timing out, leading to additional cancellations even after the ground stop ended.

Practical steps for international travelers at LAX

• Check your flight status with your airline before leaving for the airport and sign up for alerts.
• Build extra time into connections, especially if you must clear U.S. immigration and customs at your first point of entry.
• Keep receipts for meals and lodging if an overnight delay occurs. Airlines may provide care for long delays, but compensation rules are limited when disruptions stem from a government shutdown.
• If a delay causes you to overstay the period granted on your entry record, review your electronic Form I-94 (the arrival/departure record) and keep proof of your travel delay. You can access or print your record here: CBP I-94.
• If you need more time in the United States because of cascading delays, consider timely filing Form I-539 to extend or change nonimmigrant status. Instructions and filing options are available here: USCIS Form I-539. Always file before your current status ends and include evidence of disrupted travel if it supports your request.
• If you miss a consular visa appointment because of airline cancellations, contact the embassy or consulate to request a new date. Begin the visa application here: U.S. Department of State DS-160.

What travelers and crews should keep in mind

• Keep your phone charged and your travel apps updated.
• Review your Form I-94 after entry and store a copy with your passport.
• If you need more time in the U.S. because of cascading delays, consider filing Form I-539 in a timely manner.
• Watch for FAA advisories and airline alerts before heading to the airport.

Broader implications and next steps

Labor leaders say the situation highlights long-term staffing needs. The controller workforce is aging, and rigorous training can take two to four years from classroom to full certification. When a shutdown stops paychecks and adds stress, retention suffers, leaving the system vulnerable.

Airlines now face a week (or more) of schedule cleanup. Anticipate:

1. Aircraft and crew reassignment
2. Maintenance intervals slipping
3. Scattered delays in the days ahead as the network recovers

The causes are clear, the timeline is open, and people are caught in the middle. Until funding returns and staffing stabilizes, the pressure on air traffic controllers will continue to show up where travelers feel it most: at the gate, on the tarmac, and in long lines when the system slows down.