The US federal government shutdown has impacted airport operations nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, numerous flights have been delayed at various airports, including Newark, Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Burbank Airport in Hollywood, California, experienced an outage where the control tower was unstaffed for several hours, effectively rendering it non-operational.
Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that over 4,000 flights were delayed across the US on Monday (Oct. 6) alone. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the number of air traffic controllers calling in sick has significantly increased during the government shutdown, exacerbating the long-standing staffing issues at US airports. Duffy noted that if more controllers take sick leave, measures may be taken to reduce air traffic to ensure flight safety.
The FAA announced that Hollywood Burbank Airport was without air traffic controllers from 4:15 pm to 10 pm on Monday, totaling about six hours, during which all flights to the airport were delayed by approximately two and a half hours. Flight scheduling responsibilities were handed over to teams from nearby airports. In addition to Burbank, airports in Newark, Phoenix, Denver, and Las Vegas also experienced chaos.
During the federal government shutdown, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and around 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are required to work without pay. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) warned its members that under pressure from President Trump, protests may increase the risk of layoffs. The union emphasized that any protests affecting work while employees are on duty would be illegal, and actions that could harm the reputation of individuals, the union, or the profession as a whole must be avoided.
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