Staffing woes see flight delays spread to more U.S. airports amid shutdown
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An arrivals board on Monday shows delayed and cancelled flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, where the FAA said the airport currently had no air traffic controllers in its tower amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Airport staffing shortages saw thousands of flights delayed across the U.S. on Tuesday night as overstretched air traffic controllers continued to work with no pay during the government shutdown.
The big picture: Seven days into the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville and Philadelphia, and at air traffic control centers in the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas and Houston areas.
Why it matters: The last shutdown in 2019 placed great strain on U.S. air travel amid severe staffing shortages, and analysts predict the current crisis will only worsen if the political standoff on Capitol Hill drags on.
By the numbers: More than 3,500 flights were delayed at U.S. airports as of Tuesday night, per the flight tracking website FlightAware.
- These included over 570 flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and more than 200 flights at Nashville International Airport.
State of play: An FAA spokesperson said via email on Tuesday "there have been increased staffing shortages across the system."
- When that happens, "the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations."
- A spokesperson for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, which represents 20,000 air traffic controllers, said it's working with the FAA to mitigate disruptions when they arise in the National Airspace System.
What they're saying: "It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals," the NATCA spokesperson said.
- "NATCA has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today's events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring," the spokesperson added.
- "Nearly 11,000 fully certified controllers remain on the job, many working 10-hour shifts as many as six days a week, showing extraordinary dedication to safely guiding millions of passengers to their destinations — all without getting paid during this shutdown."
Zoom out: The union said in a statement on its website that it backs Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's plan to modernize the air traffic control system and "supercharge" hiring to curb the 3,800 controller shortfall.
- "A shutdown suspends these vital ... efforts and delays this critical modernization work," it said.
Flashback: President Trump ended the 2019 partial shutdown after 35 days on the same day that the FAA had to limit air traffic at New York's LaGuardia Airport and at other major hubs in New Jersey and Florida.
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