Major U.S. airports struggled Tuesday as flight delays mounted amid a staffing crunch caused by the GOP’s ongoing government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted the shutdown could throw flights into chaos—and that warning is coming true.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported Monday that no air traffic controllers were available at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, grounding some flights and causing ripple effects nationwide. Staffing-related delays also hit airports in Newark, Phoenix, and Denver. CNN reports that air traffic control centers serving Jacksonville, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., were also short-staffed, while the Nashville airport’s air traffic control center was forced to shut down for five hours on Tuesday night.
FAA officials have not yet issued a “staffing trigger” to reduce flights at airports operating below safe levels, but delays are already spiking. Flight-tracking site FlightAware logged more than 6,000 delayed U.S. flights on Monday—double the number from Saturday. By Tuesday afternoon, the number of delays had climbed past 2,100.
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Weather and traffic always play a role, but this time, staffing shortages are clearly making things worse.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association told The Washington Post that while a few sick calls are normal, most controllers are still showing up—paychecks or not. Still, this week’s delays are a reminder of how thin the system is already stretched.
“NATCA has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and [Monday’s] events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring,” the union said. NATCA estimates the system is roughly 3,800 controllers short of what it needs.
The union also cautioned members against taking coordinated actions that could compromise flight safety.
“Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service,” NATCA said. “It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”
Essential government workers—including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers—are still on the job without pay, hoping for back pay once the government reopens, even though that back pay seems far from certain.
At a press conference Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport, Duffy said he’d seen a “slight tick-up” in sick calls and warned that staffing pressures could trigger further delays. Controllers are scheduled to receive their next paycheck on Oct. 14.
“Our priorities are safety,” he said. “And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”
Speaking at the same news conference, NATCA President Nick Daniels urged Congress to end the shutdown so controllers could focus on keeping the skies safe.
“I am here to advocate for an end to the shutdown. We need to bring this shutdown to a close so that the Federal Aviation Administration and the committed aviation safety professionals can put this distraction aside and focus completely on their vital work,” Daniels said in a statement. “Our message is clear: End the shutdown now!”
Duffy added that some facilities have seen staffing cut by as much as 50% and warned that if numbers fall further, more delays—or even cancellations—could follow.
Meanwhile, senators returned to Washington on Monday with no deal in sight. Three-quarters of a million federal workers remain furloughed while many others work without pay, and several agencies are shuttered.
The Washington Post reported that during the 35-day shutdown in 2018–2019, unpaid air traffic controllers took on side jobs—driving for Uber or Lyft, waiting tables, whatever it took to get by. NATCA leaders said some even called in sick because they couldn’t afford child care. In the end, those same controllers helped force the government to reopen.
That history makes the current situation even more alarming, especially after a year marked by serious safety concerns, including a January collision between a commercial jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
For now, the shutdown drags on, leaving airports understaffed, airlines stretched thin, and passengers at risk—all thanks to the GOP’s latest standoff against health care.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
