Particle.news

Download on the App Store

FAA Curbs Airport Traffic as Shutdown Sick Calls Strain Air Traffic Control

Union leaders say controllers need pay restored to keep safety-focused slowdowns from spreading.

Overview

  • FAA advisories and ground delay programs were activated at multiple facilities, including a Wednesday night program at Reagan National, as controller staffing dipped during the shutdown.
  • Flight trackers logged more than 6,100 U.S.-related delays Monday and over 3,800 Tuesday, with additional delays reported Wednesday, though some were influenced by weather.
  • Acute disruptions included an hours-long lapse in tower staffing at Hollywood Burbank and the first shutdown-related ground stop in Nashville, with staffing issues also cited in Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said safety will dictate traffic flow reductions and noted staffing now accounts for roughly 53% of recent delays versus a typical 5%, while the controllers’ union urged professionalism and warned against illegal job actions.
  • NATCA and AFGE pressed Congress to reopen funding as a dispute flared over OMB guidance on guaranteed back pay, and DOT signaled Essential Air Service subsidies could lapse as early as Oct. 12 if the shutdown continues.