FAA issues 1st staffing-related ground stop in Nashville during shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop lasting about 90 minutes at Nashville International Airport due to staffing shortages, marking the first such order during the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.

According to an FAA advisory, the ground stop is in effect from 6:32 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday and affected departures from multiple regional facilities. The agency cited “staffing” as the cause of the disruption, with the probability of extension listed as medium.

The Nashville halt followed a similar issue Monday night at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, where no air traffic controllers were on duty because of staffing shortages. That caused widespread delays and cancellations across several airlines.

Tuesday’s Nashville halt is the first FAA ground stop caused by staffing shortages since the government shutdown began.

The shutdown took effect last week after the Senate rejected a stopgap funding bill that would have kept federal agencies operating through late November. Since then, competing proposals from both parties to end the shutdown have failed to advance.

During a government shutdown, most federal employees are placed on unpaid leave, or furlough, while those considered essential for public safety and national security continue working without immediate pay.

Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration officers, and other aviation safety personnel fall under this category.

However, staffing levels are often reduced, while some employees begin calling in sick or fail to report for duty, straining operations and increasing the risk of delays or service disruptions.