FAA staffing shortages cause flight delays across U.S.
Week-long federal government shutdown causes chaos
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will not have enough controllers in the tower and in Nashville, the approach facility guiding planes in and out of the airport has been forced to close.
Air traffic chaos is spreading across the country as the federal government shutdown enters its seventh day. Now, similar shortages are hitting FAA offices nationwide, with delays expected in Houston, Newark, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas, according to FAA operations plans.
Houston’s two major airports, Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental, are both expected to see ground delays because of the staffing shortage.
The aviation problems, just a week into the shutdown, come as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reports more controllers are calling out sick. Like Transportation Security Administration officers, air traffic controllers are considered essential employees and must work despite the lapse in federal funding.
While strikes or organized work stoppages are prohibited by federal law, even a small number of employees taking unscheduled time off can create major problems due to the tight staffing in air traffic control.
Chicago’s O’Hare tower is expected to operate without a full complement of controllers for nine hours Tuesday night. One of the busiest airports in the country, O’Hare handles more than 1 000 flights a day. Early Tuesday evening, ground delays for flights headed to O’Hare averaged 41 minutes.
In Nashville, the approach facility guiding planes into and out of the airport had to shut down for five hours Tuesday night. Flights heading to the airport were rerouted through a regional air traffic control center in Memphis. Ground delays for flights arriving in Nashville were expected to average two hours Tuesday night.
The problems mirror what happened Monday at Hollywood Burbank International Airport in California, where the entire tower was forced to shut down.
Controllers have not yet missed a paycheck but remain concerned about the future, Duffy said Tuesday.
“This is their living. They’re concerned now if they don’t get their paychecks, how do I pay my mortgage? How do I pay my car payment? What do I do to put food on the table?” he said on Fox News.
The next payday is scheduled for October 14, but unless the government reopens before then, controllers will only be paid for time worked before the shutdown. If operations do not resume, October 28 would be the first scheduled payday with no pay at all.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) says the impact of even a small number of controllers calling in sick highlights how understaffed and fragile the system is.
“We are critically staffed with unreliable equipment, and we deal with these issues as part of the resiliency and redundancy we advocate for in the system,” said Nick Daniels, NATCA president, in an interview with CNN Tuesday. “We can work with the FAA to address issues as they come up, make a plan, and ultimately ensure the safety of the flying public. These scenarios aren’t new; they are a reality that air traffic controllers face day in and day out.”
The Department of Transportation has reported a rise in sick calls since the shutdown began, though the union representing controllers has denied any coordinated work stoppage.
“There are controllers that have called up sick, and we’re tracking it,” Duffy said on Monday.
NATCA, which represents nearly 20 000 controllers, engineers, and other aviation professionals, discouraged members from calling in sick as a form of protest.
“We must also recognize that in the current political climate, federal employees are under heightened scrutiny,” the union said on its website. “It is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our Union, or our profession.”
“What happens is people get anxious, people get nervous, and sometimes there’s abuse of sick leave,” said Mary Schiavo, CNN transportation analyst. She investigated similar cases while serving as DOT inspector general.
“In the federal government, if you’re out on sick leave for more than three days, you have to provide a doctor’s note. If suspicious, they can require a medical check. Taking sick leave when you’re not sick is always a bad idea, which is why the controller’s group has called for people to do their jobs,” she said.
Despite these precautions, Daniels said the call-outs are not abnormal given the FAA’s existing staffing pressures.
“This pressure, this stress, leading to fatigue, all these factors are real and ongoing, and we work with the FAA on these issues every day,” Daniels said.
Air traffic chaos is spreading across the country as the federal government shutdown enters its seventh day. Now, similar shortages are hitting FAA offices nationwide, with delays expected in Houston, Newark, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas, according to FAA operations plans.
Houston’s two major airports, Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental, are both expected to see ground delays because of the staffing shortage.
The aviation problems, just a week into the shutdown, come as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reports more controllers are calling out sick. Like Transportation Security Administration officers, air traffic controllers are considered essential employees and must work despite the lapse in federal funding.
While strikes or organized work stoppages are prohibited by federal law, even a small number of employees taking unscheduled time off can create major problems due to the tight staffing in air traffic control.
Chicago’s O’Hare tower is expected to operate without a full complement of controllers for nine hours Tuesday night. One of the busiest airports in the country, O’Hare handles more than 1 000 flights a day. Early Tuesday evening, ground delays for flights headed to O’Hare averaged 41 minutes.
In Nashville, the approach facility guiding planes into and out of the airport had to shut down for five hours Tuesday night. Flights heading to the airport were rerouted through a regional air traffic control center in Memphis. Ground delays for flights arriving in Nashville were expected to average two hours Tuesday night.
The problems mirror what happened Monday at Hollywood Burbank International Airport in California, where the entire tower was forced to shut down.
Controllers have not yet missed a paycheck but remain concerned about the future, Duffy said Tuesday.
“This is their living. They’re concerned now if they don’t get their paychecks, how do I pay my mortgage? How do I pay my car payment? What do I do to put food on the table?” he said on Fox News.
The next payday is scheduled for October 14, but unless the government reopens before then, controllers will only be paid for time worked before the shutdown. If operations do not resume, October 28 would be the first scheduled payday with no pay at all.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) says the impact of even a small number of controllers calling in sick highlights how understaffed and fragile the system is.
“We are critically staffed with unreliable equipment, and we deal with these issues as part of the resiliency and redundancy we advocate for in the system,” said Nick Daniels, NATCA president, in an interview with CNN Tuesday. “We can work with the FAA to address issues as they come up, make a plan, and ultimately ensure the safety of the flying public. These scenarios aren’t new; they are a reality that air traffic controllers face day in and day out.”
The Department of Transportation has reported a rise in sick calls since the shutdown began, though the union representing controllers has denied any coordinated work stoppage.
“There are controllers that have called up sick, and we’re tracking it,” Duffy said on Monday.
NATCA, which represents nearly 20 000 controllers, engineers, and other aviation professionals, discouraged members from calling in sick as a form of protest.
“We must also recognize that in the current political climate, federal employees are under heightened scrutiny,” the union said on its website. “It is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our Union, or our profession.”
“What happens is people get anxious, people get nervous, and sometimes there’s abuse of sick leave,” said Mary Schiavo, CNN transportation analyst. She investigated similar cases while serving as DOT inspector general.
“In the federal government, if you’re out on sick leave for more than three days, you have to provide a doctor’s note. If suspicious, they can require a medical check. Taking sick leave when you’re not sick is always a bad idea, which is why the controller’s group has called for people to do their jobs,” she said.
Despite these precautions, Daniels said the call-outs are not abnormal given the FAA’s existing staffing pressures.
“This pressure, this stress, leading to fatigue, all these factors are real and ongoing, and we work with the FAA on these issues every day,” Daniels said.
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