Hollywood Burbank Airport’s air traffic control tower is temporarily unmanned, and a number of flights have been delayed or canceled Monday due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA anticipates that the airport’s air traffic control tower will be without staff until 10 p.m. Monday, according to spokesperson Kristen Alsop. The tower was without staff starting at 4:15 p.m.
Due to the government shutdown, air traffic controllers are working without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the FAA was seeing a small uptick in air traffic control workers calling in sick during the shutdown.
As of 5 p.m., outgoing flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed an average of two hours and 31 minutes due to staffing shortages and runway construction, according to the FAA. At that time, the longest delay reported was three hours and 55 minutes.
Alsop said that staffing shortages were the main issue contributing to the delays.
As of 6:30 p.m., there had been 25 arrival delays, 17 departure delays, seven arrival cancellations and five departure cancellations, according to airport spokesperson Mike Christensen.
Although the air traffic control tower is unmanned, Southern California TRACON is controlling the air traffic in the airport’s airspace, Alsop said. The San Diego-based organization is operated by the FAA and uses radar technology to ensure the safe flow of planes through airspace surrounding dozens of airports across Southern California.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was quick to point blame at President Trump for the staffing challenges.
“Thanks,@realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown,” he said in a statement on X.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Assn., the union representing air controllers, called the ongoing issues at Hollywood Burbank Airport “the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals.”
“NATCA has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today’s events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring,” the union said in a statement to The Times.
The union said that nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers were continuing to work without pay during the shutdown, many of whom are working 10-hour shifts up to six days a week. NATCA said it was working with the FAA to mitigate disruptions for travelers and would continue to fight to increase hiring rates of air traffic controllers.
The FAA said that air traffic control staffing shortages were causing delays at multiple airports Monday, including Newark Liberty International Airport, Denver International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Monday marks the sixth day of the government shutdown, during which time hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay, and many agency operations have been suspended or scaled back.
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