npr:

The FAA is reporting significant flight delays at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport because of a shortage of workers.

LaGuardia attributed the problem to a shortage of workers “at FAA air traffic control centers along the East Coast.”

“We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two facilities,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “We’ve mitigated the impact by augmenting staffing, rerouting traffic, and increasing spacing between aircraft when needed. The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system.”

Flights Delayed At LaGuardia, Newark Airports As Workers Call In Sick Amid Shutdown

Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images