An air traffic control tower was unstaffed. Is this the U.S. government shutdown breaking point?
Of all the replies a pilot doesn’t want to hear when they radio air traffic control, “the tower is closed due to staffing” is probably pretty high on the list.
But that’s apparently what happened Monday at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California as a pilot was preparing for takeoff and looking to co-ordinate his departure, according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net and reported on by CNN.
Burbank’s air traffic control tower was temporarily unstaffed Monday, one of many incidents in U.S. airports caused by staffing shortages during the government’s shutdown. In an advisory, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said flights at the Burbank airport were delayed by about two hours because of “staffing,” noting that its tower had “zero” air traffic controllers.
An FAA spokesperson told the L.A. Times the tower was without staff from about 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time, and during that period, a San-Diego based air traffic control facility was controlling air traffic.
The government shutdown that started last week over a funding impasse triggered wide-ranging service disruptions and the furloughs of hundreds of thousands of civil servants.
CBC News has reached out to the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) union for comment and hasn’t yet heard back. In an automatic reply, the FAA warned it would have limited communications “due to a lapse in funding.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom blames U.S. President Donald Trump for what happened in Burbank, Trump blames “Democrat delays” for any flight issues, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames the shutdown for putting more stress on already-stressed air traffic controllers.
But amid all the finger pointing, you might be wondering — why is this even happening? Will passenger safety be affected? And is there an end in sight?
We’ll break it down for you here.
First of all, was what happened at Burbank dangerous?
According to CNN, it may have seemed dramatic to have an unstaffed air traffic control tower, but it was more of a logistical headache that caused delays. Flights could take off and land, CNN said, but they had to follow procedures “typically used at small airports without control towers.”
TRACON, the San-Diego based facility, was controlling air traffic remotely, and pilots were left to communicate among themselves while taxiing to and from the runway, according to Business Insider.
In a statement to the L.A. Times, NATCA said what happened at Burbank was “the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals.”
Air traffic controllers there resumed operations Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Air traffic controllers in Burbank on Tuesday. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must still turn up for work during the shutdown. (Daniel Cole/Reuters)
On Monday, the FAA’s chief operating officer emphasized that the air traffic control system is still safe.
“It is very, very safe. But we have to be on the forefront of making sure that our air traffic controllers and technicians have the very best,” said Franklin McIntosh.
Don’t air traffic controllers have to keep working?
Yes. But they’re not being paid, and the FAA has said staffing issues are delaying flights, while Duffy has said there’s been a slight increase in controllers taking sick leave.
Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must still turn up for work during the shutdown.
Controllers are set to receive a partial paycheck on Oct. 14 for work performed before the shutdown.
The union on Monday reminded workers that “participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service” and that doing so would be illegal.
“It is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public service we provide every day.
“We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our professions.”
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In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said Republicans must use the government shutdown ‘to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud,’ while also blaming the closure on Democrats in Congress.
Then what’s the issue?
Controllers are expected to continue working without a paycheque, Duffy said, so they are now worried about how to pay their bills in addition to worrying about keeping flights safe.
Duffy said that at times, air traffic staffing has been cut by 50 per cent in some areas since the shutdown started last week.
Duffy noted controllers are worried. “They’re thinking about, ‘Am I going to get a paycheque?'” Duffy said, adding that some are asking themselves: “Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful?”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy arrives for a ceremony in the Pentagon courtyard on Sept. 11 in Washington. On Monday, Duffy said there have started to be instances of controllers calling out sick, leading to delays at several airports. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press)
In a statement on X, the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA) explained that controllers working without pay puts stress on the workforce.
“Expect morale, retention and absentee rates to be stressed, especially if the shutdown drags on,” CATCA wrote.
The shutdown also reduces supports, stalls hiring and training, and can cause operational slowdowns, the association added.
“To maintain safety margins, traffic levels may need to be constrained or set back. Delays and cancellations are more likely, especially in congested airspace.”
How is this affecting flights?
Staffing issues were impacting flights at numerous airports on Monday including Newark, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Burbank, according to the FAA. On Tuesday, the FAA said many flights were being delayed at Nashville and Newark airports, among others.
Nashville air traffic control is facing significant staffing issues and will curtail operations later on Tuesday, the FAA said. Approach control will be taken over later by Memphis Center, it added.
FlightAware said more than 4,000 flights in the U.S. on Monday were delayed, including 29 per cent arriving flights at Denver, 19 per cent of Newark flights and 15 per cent of Las Vegas flights. On Tuesday afternoon, there were 2,152 delays on flights within, into, or out of the U.S., and 58 cancellations, according to the flight tracking website.
A commercial airliner takes off past the air traffic control tower at San Diego International Airport during the first day of a partial U.S. government shutdown in San Diego, Calif., on Oct. 1. (Mike Blake/Reuters)
CATCA, the Canadian union, noted that the ripple effects could also affect Canadian cross-border travellers.
“Canadian air traffic and flights flying into or near U.S. airspace may face knock-on delays or flow restrictions (e.g. ground delay programs),” CATCA wrote in its statement.
Could this be the breaking point?
There’s precedent.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers rose as workers missed paycheques, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports.
You may recall that Canadian air traffic controllers sent pizzas to their American counterparts as a gesture of solidarity. A union rep for NATCA told CBC’s The Current at the time that its air traffic controllers were forced to work second jobs in between shifts where they’re responsible for the safety of thousands of passengers.
Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York, which put pressure on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said at the time the shutdown was “pushing our airspace to the breaking point.”
In a press conference Monday, Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, urged an end to it.
“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.”
