The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, as well at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The staffing shortages are a result of the U.S. government shutdown, now in its seventh day, the effects of which are spreading across the country.
The Guardian reported on October 8 that staffing shortages at U.S. airports are anticipated to cause further disruption to air traffic, including cargo, and that Union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners have warned the situation is likely to get worse.
On October 7, transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, warned that the country’s air traffic control system is being harmed by the ongoing government shutdown.
The FAA has slowed takeoffs at several airports this week as air traffic control facilities struggle to maintain staffing levels in spite of the federal government shutdown.
Staffing shortages include an elevated number of workers calling in sick at airports across the U.S. on October 6.
In a statement on its website, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the largest union representing air traffic controllers, said it did “not endorse, support, or condone any federal employees participating in or endorsing a coordinated activity that negatively affects the capacity” of the National Airspace System
In Los Angeles, air traffic control at Burbank airport was closed and air traffic was handled by another facility. The Nashville airport was experiencing delays of around two hours because of staffing issues, the FAA said on its website on October 7. Delays at Chicago’s O’Hare airport averaged 41 minutes, and 30 minutes at Dallas-Fort Worth, the FAA said.
