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1h ago

Shutdown Strains U.S. Air Travel as Controller Shortages Trigger Delays, Burbank Tower Unstaffed for Hours

Officials report a rise in sick calls, with warnings of further traffic slowdowns if staffing worsens.

An American Eagle plane takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport on Monday in Burbank, Calif. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated the airport had no air traffic controllers in its tower amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
A dark and unstaffed air traffic control tower is seen at the Hollywood Burbank Airport amid the US government shutdown
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Travelers walk with luggage in the San Diego International Airport. July 3, 2022.

Overview

  • The FAA confirmed Hollywood Burbank’s tower had no controllers from about 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m., with San Diego’s TRACON managing the airspace and pilots coordinating taxiing.
  • Delays rippled nationwide on Monday—averaging about 2.5 hours at Burbank, up to roughly an hour at Newark, and about 39 minutes at Denver—with more than 6,000 U.S. flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
  • On Tuesday, the FAA reported additional staffing shortfalls affecting airports in Nashville, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, plus control centers in Atlanta and Dallas–Fort Worth, prompting temporary traffic slowdowns.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said sick calls have ticked up since the shutdown began and warned the agency will further reduce flight flow or cancel flights if safety requires it.
  • Air traffic controllers are working without pay as essential employees and face a missed payday on Oct. 14, while their union urges Congress to end the shutdown and officials warn the Essential Air Service program could run out of funding if the lapse persists.