The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it was slowing flights into three New York City area airports and Philadelphia International Airport, citing severe weather and a shortage of air traffic control staff, according to a Reuters report.

The FAA is the US government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation and managing the country's airspace.

Staffing shortages at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center are affecting operations at John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty International airports, all serving the New York metropolitan area, as well as Philadelphia International Airport. Flight-tracking service FlightAware reported that between 20 and 30 percent of flights were cancelled at the four airports, Reuters said.

Ground delays at the affected airports are averaging between 71 and 149 minutes, according to the FAA.

The disruption comes as the FAA continues efforts to address a long-running shortage of certified air traffic controllers. The agency said staffing at the New York Area Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, which manages air traffic across the region, remains at just 57 percent of targeted levels. The shortfall has previously caused flight delays and required controllers at multiple facilities to work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks, Reuters reported.

Last month, the FAA extended flight restrictions at the three major New York area airports. The FAA has extended limits at Newark through the summer of 2027, while it will keep restrictions at JFK and LaGuardia in place through late October 2028. The agency is also extending relief from minimum flight-usage requirements at JFK, LaGuardia, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport through late 2027.

In May 2025, the FAA imposed significant flight cuts at Newark Liberty International Airport, a major hub for United Airlines, following a series of disruptions that delayed hundreds of flights and raised concerns about the state of the United States' air traffic control infrastructure. The FAA has now extended those cuts through October 2027, saying staffing deficiencies at Newark "will not significantly improve" before that date.

Under the FAA's minimum flight-usage rule, airlines risk losing their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they fail to use them at least 80 percent of the time. The agency's latest waiver allows airlines to operate 10 percent fewer flights without losing their slots. The FAA has issued a series of similar waivers in recent years to manage the prolonged staffing shortage at JFK and LaGuardia, Reuters said.

Source: Reuters