Flights to LaGuardia are interrupted for security reasons related to the closure

The federal aviation administration on Friday blocked all flights to New York's LaGuardia Airport, marking a turning point in the ongoing closure of the government.

Citing safety issues related to a shortage of air According to traffic control staff, the FAA decision to discontinue all incoming traffic to one The country's largest airports is an important development, if not entirely unexpected, since the government's closure is expected to last until the sixth week. Earlier this week, the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, the Air Line Pilots Association and the CWA Flight Attendant Association issued a joint statement regarding their "growing concern for the safety of our members, of our airlines and the traveling public because of the closure of the government. "

In an interview published on Splinter before the FAA ruling Friday, the President of the Flight Attendant Association, Sara Nelson, underlined the general security commitment of the airline industry, and is concerned that the current closure could jeopardize this commitment.

"We are fast approaching a point Nelson, when asked whether the suspension of services talks were limited to his union or to the air transport industry as a whole. [196590] 03] On Twitter, the FAA has attempted to downplay the importance of airport delays, attributing it to "a slight increase in the number of sick days in two institutions."

The end of the current closure failed Thursday in Congress, while two bills – one proposed by President Trump, and the other by the Democrats of the Senate – were below the number of votes required to be passed.

Already in recent weeks, there have been repeated reports of unusually long lines, endless expectations and other inconveniences associated with stopping at airports across the country. But by completely cutting off LaGuardia's incoming traffic – a move that seems tied to delays in other major airports, including Newark and Philadelphia the FAA may have pushed things to a whole new level. new territory, a The closure of the government will quickly entail a total disruption of the daily lives of Americans – not just for federal employees fired by the Trump administration, but for the country as a whole.

This is a story in development and will be updated as new information becomes available.