On Monday night, significant flight delays impacted major airports serving New York, Denver, and the Los Angeles area. The disruptions were primarily caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers, coinciding with a warning from the transportation secretary about potential flight disruptions due to the ongoing government shutdown. The situation escalated in the late afternoon, particularly affecting Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Denver International Airport.
At Newark Liberty International Airport, incoming flights experienced average delays of nearly an hour, while flights arriving at Denver International Airport faced delays of approximately 40 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued advisories detailing these delays, attributing the issues to staffing shortages within the air traffic control system. As the evening progressed, the situation worsened at Hollywood Burbank Airport near Los Angeles, where incoming flights reported average delays of about two and a half hours.
A particularly alarming aspect of the delays was the fact that the air traffic control tower at Burbank had no controllers on duty during this critical time. As a result, incoming flight management was handed over to the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control in San Diego, which is recognized as one of the busiest air traffic facilities worldwide. Passengers like Kurt Duffens, who arrived from Portland, were caught off guard by the situation, learning about the unstaffed tower only after landing. “I wouldn’t have flown,” he remarked, expressing his surprise and consideration of alternative airports had he been aware of the circumstances.
The staffing shortages and subsequent flight delays came shortly after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a stern warning regarding the impact of the government shutdown on air travel. “If we think there’s issues in the airspace, we will shut it down,” Duffy stated, emphasizing the department's readiness to enforce delays if necessary. While air traffic controllers are required to continue working during the shutdown, they will only receive pay retroactively once it concludes. This situation echoes the 2019 government shutdown, which saw a significant increase in controller sick calls, leading to widespread flight delays and a swift resolution to the crisis.
On Monday, Secretary Duffy acknowledged a “slight tick-up” in sick calls from air traffic controllers since the latest shutdown began. To manage the situation, the FAA implemented a ground delay program, a traffic management strategy that holds flights from departing other airports if they are heading to a location with limited capacity. Newark has frequently faced ground delays this year due to both staffing shortages and runway construction, which has compounded challenges in air traffic management. Additionally, delays were also reported at Boston’s Logan International Airport due to ongoing runway construction.
In light of these developments, Secretary Duffy raised concerns that a federal program subsidizing flights to rural areas could run out of funding by Sunday if the shutdown continues, putting essential air service at risk. The situation remains fluid as officials monitor air traffic and controller staffing levels closely, highlighting the critical interplay between government operations and air travel reliability.
Contributed by Orlando Mayorquín from Burbank, California.
