The first air traffic controller staffing shortage of what could be a busy day has been reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Newark Liberty International Airport’s air traffic control tower is short-staffed until 2 p.m. ET, according to the most recent publicly available operations plan.
The problems at the airport are not expected to cause a major impact, but it is the first report of what could be a significant number of staffing issues.
Since the start of the shutdown, Friday evenings have typically seen more air traffic controllers not come to work than most other parts of the week.
The FAA also reported an additional air traffic control staffing problem at the Houston Terminal Radar Approach Control, which handles flights in and out of the city’s airports. It will be short staffed until at least 4 p.m. ET. It has not had its normal complement of controllers each of the last four days, which at times has led to delays at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.
There have been 211 staffing shortages reported since the start of the shutdown, more than four times the number reported on the same dates last year.
Remember: Air traffic controllers are required to work during the government shutdown but are not being paid. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy has noted some controllers are calling out sick because of the shutdown. Duffy is expected to hold a news conference at Philadelphia International Airport this afternoon.
Not every staffing problem causes delays, as air traffic controllers can route flights to airspace where more people are working, but sometimes there is no choice but to slow flights down so the controllers who show up can maintain safety.
This post has been updated with additional reporting on delays in Houston.
