Citing safety concerns due to the shutdown, the FAA just barred New York City’s LaGuardia airport, one of the country’s busiest, from allowing incoming flights to land there. Only outgoing flights are still being allowed to take off from it, for now.
Apparently this happened just now, an hour or two ago. No telling if this will last through the end of the shutdown or is just temporary, and if outgoing flights will eventually also be barred. This is unprecedented in my recollection.
I believe that the last time this happened was after 9/11, and that was an actual national emergency, not a political stunt. The human and economic costs of such a shutdown are all but incalculable. Businesses need to move workers around the country. People need to visit family and attend to urgent matters. Body organs need to be transported under very tight time constraints. My god, the madness.
The EVIL.
Incoming Flights to LaGuardia Airport in New York Halted Amid Shutdown The FAA cited staff shortages for the extraordinary move. Inae Oh January 25, 2019 10:03 AM
The Federal Aviation Administration has stopped flights into LaGuardia Airport in New York City due to major staff shortages amid the partial government shutdown.
The startling announcement came after unions representing aviation workers released a statement on Wednesday warning that the shutdown could pose serious safety risks for its members and travelers. “In our risk-averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break,” the statement read.
UPDATE: The banning of incoming landings appears to have been lifted, but there are still delays of several hours. But it was in effect for most of this morning.
