近期，美国航班延误现象频发，平均延误时间显著增加，主要原因指向空中交通管制人员的短缺。与政府关门前约5%的延误率相比，当前因人员问题导致的延误已飙升至53%。尽管空中交通管制员仍在工作，但面临首笔工资延迟发放的困境，导致部分人员选择请假，加剧了人手不足的状况。这已对多个机场的航班运行造成影响，部分机场甚至出现长时间的延误，给旅客出行带来不便，也凸显了政府关门对关键基础设施运行的潜在风险。

✈️ **人员短缺导致航班大面积延误：** 近期美国航班延误显著增加，主要原因是空中交通管制员人手不足。数据显示，因人员问题导致的航班延误比例从政府关门前的约5%飙升至53%，平均延误时间达到31分钟，部分机场甚至出现长达数小时的延误。

📉 **政府关门是主要诱因：** 空中交通管制员作为关键岗位人员，在政府关门期间仍需工作，但面临工资延迟发放的问题。这种不确定性导致部分管制员选择请假，加剧了本已紧张的人员配置，直接影响了航班的正常运行。

⚠️ **潜在的安全风险与旅客不便：** 尽管目前有近11000名管制员在岗，但工作压力增大，可能影响其判断和操作。长时间的航班延误给旅客出行带来了极大的不便，也引发了对航空系统稳定性的担忧。

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said 53% of flight delays in the US are being caused by staffing issues.That's compared to around 5% before the government shutdown, which began last week.Airports around the US have seen delays as more air traffic controllers call in sick.

Planning a flight soon? It's 10 times as likely to be delayed due to short staffing as before the government shutdown.

"Historically, there's about 5% of delays attributed to staffing issues in our towers," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show."

"The last couple of days, it's been 53%," he added.

There are some 13,000 air traffic controllers in the US, who still have to work during the shutdown but are set to miss their first paycheck next Tuesday.

Slightly more controllers than usual are calling in sick, Duffy said at a Monday press conference.

"Those who have shown up, I'm grateful for them and their service, but the bottom line is these controllers are stressed out, and they're rebelling on this shutdown because they may not get paid," he told Will Cain.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that nearly 11,000 controllers are still working, with some doing 10-hour shifts up to six days a week.

Wednesday was the third day that the Federal Aviation Administration delayed flights at some US airports due to understaffing.

Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., experienced average delays of 31 minutes, with a maximum of 1 hour and 19 minutes, according to an FAA advisory.

Flights arriving at Newark were also told to expect delays up to 30 minutes due to staffing.

Several airports were also affected on Tuesday, with flights inbound to Nashville averaging delays of over two hours.

And Monday saw Hollywood Burbank Airport's air traffic control tower unstaffed for six hours.

Pilots had to communicate with each other to handle taxiing on the ground, while passengers could expect delays of up to four hours, per the FAA.