Shortage of air traffic controllers affecting flights at New York, New Jersey airports

The Federal Aviation Administration is reporting delays in air travel because of a “slight increase in sick leave” at two East Coast air traffic control facilities.

FAA spokesman Gregory Martin said Friday that it had augmented staffing, rerouted traffic and increased spacing between planes as needed.

The staffing problems were at air traffic centers in Jacksonville, Florida and a Washington D.C. centre that controls high-altitude air traffic over seven states.

Martin says safety is being maintained during a period of “minimal impacts” on travel.

LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were both experiencing delays in takeoffs.

On Wednesday, Paul Rinaldi, the president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “Cuomo Prime Time” that air traffic workers are making “routine mistakes” due to high levels of stress caused by the shutdown.

“The biggest toll I have right now is the human toll, the fatigue in my work environment right now where I’m seeing routine mistakes because they’re thinking about which credit cards can I consolidate up for zero interest?” Rinaldi said.

The partial shutdown of the federal government is in its 35th day Friday, and about 800,000 workers faced a second pay period without a cheque.

More than half of those people are considered critical, though, and have been asked to continue their work without pay as the shutdown wears on.

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