Sequestration Furloughs Cause Delays at Major U.S. Airports

The "sequestration" is having an impact on those who take to the skies from Pittsburgh International Airport, as well as others around the country.

As a result of employee furloughs due to sequestration, the FAA is implementing traffic management initiatives at airports and facilities around the country, according to a news release the government agency issued on Tuesday.

Travelers can expect to see a wide range of delays that will change throughout the day depending on staffing and weather-related issues. For example, the FAA is experiencing staffing challenges at the New York and Los Angeles En Route Centers and at the Dallas-Ft. Worth and Las Vegas TRACONs.

Controllers will space planes farther apart so they can manage traffic with current staff, which will lead to delays at airports including DFW, Las Vegas and LAX. The FAA also expects delays at Newark and LaGuardia because of weather and winds.

The FAA will continue to work with the airlines throughout the day to try and minimize delays for travelers. The FAA encourages all travelers to check their flight status and also to visit http://www.fly.faa.gov for the latest airport delay information.

Early Wednesday morning, Pittsburgh International was experiencing arrival and departure time delays of 15 minutes or less.

On Monday, more than 1,200 delays in the system were attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough. There were more than 1,400 additional delays as a result of weather and other factors.

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