*

FAA head says safety will not be compromised as staffing

shortages persist

*

More than 23,000 flights have been delayed this week

*

USDOT says about half of flight delays this week have been

tied

to FAA staffing issues

(Updates with staffing issues continuing late Friday in

paragraphs 1-4)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation

Administration said on Friday that air traffic control staffing

issues delayed travel for a fifth straight day as major U.S.

airlines urged air travelers to be patient during an ongoing

government shutdown.

More than 6,400 flights were delayed on Friday - and 470

canceled - after 22,000 had been delayed since Monday, according

to flight tracking website FlightAware. Air travel is expected

to rise in the United States during the three-day Columbus Day

holiday weekend.

The FAA said late on Friday it was experiencing staffing

issues in Chicago, New York, Newark, San Diego, Dallas,

Washington and Phoenix, among other airports. A temporary

evacuation of the Atlanta air traffic control tower Friday due

to a fire alarm and reports of a strong natural gas odor also

snarled flights.

Airlines were urging passengers to be patient.

"It is safe to fly, but ATC staffing shortages strain the

system and cause flights to be spaced out, slowing down

everything," said Airlines for America, the trade group

representing American Airlines ( AAL ), United Airlines,

Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) and other

major carriers, warning of delays or cancellations.

"The bottom line is that anyone heading to the airport right

now is encouraged to pack their patience."

Air traffic control has become a flashpoint in the debate

over the shutdown with both parties blaming the other. The Trump

administration on Thursday began airing videos at security

checkpoints blaming Democrats.

The head of the FAA said earlier the agency is facing

continuing air traffic control staffing shortages as a U.S.

government shutdown entered its 10th day but emphasized safety

would not be compromised.

"Staffing shortages have increased across the country," FAA

Administrator Bryan Bedford said in an email to employees.

"Safety will never be compromised. When staffing constraints

occur, we will reduce the flow of air traffic into affected

airports and centers to maintain safe operations."

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000

Transportation Security Administration officers must still turn

up for work during the government shutdown, but they are not

being paid. Controllers are set to receive a partial paycheck on

October 14 for work performed before the shutdown.

In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by

controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks,

extending checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities

were forced to slow air traffic in New York, which put pressure

on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff.

The U.S. has faced an air traffic controller staffing

shortage for more than a decade, and many had been working

mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted

staffing levels.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Thursday

that air traffic controllers who repeatedly fail to show up for

work during the government shutdown could be fired.