A staffing shortage in Southern California’s airspace triggered a ground stop affecting Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flights on Sunday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The restriction applies to flights departing from airspace managed by the Los Angeles and Oakland air traffic control centers that are scheduled to arrive at LAX, according to an FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisory. The order went into effect around 8:27 a.m. and was expected to run through 10 a.m., with a medium chance of extension.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) confirmed a ground stoppage began around 8:45 a.m. and said passengers should check with their airlines for delays or cancellations. Airport officials said they could not immediately confirm whether staffing issues were the cause.
Oakland International Airport is also affected, LAWA said.
The FAA reported more than 900 total delay minutes so far, with some flights waiting up to 87 minutes and average delays around 49 minutes.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Lauren Lewis and Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
