Massport: Logan flight delays unrelated to government shutdown

Massport said flights out of Boston's Logan Airport have not been affected by the federal government shutdown, despite claims from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Just over 100 flights to and from Logan were delayed as of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, with another 15 cancelations, according to flight tracker site FlightAware.

Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for Massport, the agency that oversees the airport, said the delays are likely caused by heavy rain and ongoing construction on a runway.

"Runway 9-27 is one of our major runways and used in every wind configuration," Mehigan said in a statement. "Without it, the amount of flights the airport can handle per hour is reduced, and therefore some flights get pushed into the next hour."

The runway construction project began in early September and is expected to take 75 days, according to Massport. The agency said it coordinated with the FAA and airlines on when to schedule the work.

Meanwhile, the FAA said Tuesday there were staffing issues at airports in Boston, Nashville, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency said the latter temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities.

But Massport said Tuesday there has not been "any impacts to operations at Logan or Worcester Regional due to the federal shutdown."

Across the U.S., the FAA said flight disruptions Monday were also tied to insufficient staffing during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1. The agency reported issues at airports in Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday there has already been an uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick at a few locations. When there aren't enough controllers, the FAA must reduce the number of takeoffs and landings to maintain safety, which in turn causes flight delays and possible cancellations.

Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees chapter that represents TSA workers, said he has heard concerns from members about how they will be able to pay bills, including child support and mortgage payments, if the shutdown continues to delay paychecks, and about whether they're at risk for termination.

“The employees are struggling," said Jones, who has worked as a screener since the TSA was established. "They’re assessing what they need to do and they’re assessing how this is all going to work out."

With reporting from WBUR's newsroom, and material from Associated Press reporters Rio Yamat and Josh Funk.