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Key Takeaways:
- Significant air traffic control staffing shortages are causing widespread flight delays across the United States.
- The shortages impact control towers, TRACONs, and Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
- Major airports are experiencing delays of up to four hours.
- Staffing issues have drastically increased compared to the same period last year.
- The government shutdown is exacerbating the problem, with controllers potentially seeking other employment.
Summary:
Travelers across the United States are experiencing significant disruptions due to reduced airport operations stemming from air traffic control staffing shortages. Despite efforts to mitigate the problem by cutting hundreds of flights, air traffic control facilities nationwide reported being short-staffed a total of 32 times on a single day. This widespread shortage has led to substantial delays for air travelers, with some flights experiencing delays lasting several hours.
The staffing problems are affecting various levels of air traffic control. Control towers, responsible for managing takeoffs and landings, reported nine instances of understaffing at airports including Austin, Texas, Burbank, California, Newark, New Orleans, Ontario, California, San Francisco (twice), Tampa and Washington, DC. Twelve reports detailed understaffing at TRACONs (Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities), which manage flights arriving and departing airports. These shortages impacted major hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston (twice), Newark (twice), Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, and Southern California (three areas). Eight Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which handle flights at high altitudes, also reported being short-staffed in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas (twice) Jacksonville and Washington, DC.
The consequences of these staffing shortages are evident in flight delays across the country. Flights bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were delayed an average of four hours. Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport experienced incoming delays of nearly three hours, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston saw incoming delays of 46 minutes and departure delays of 30 minutes. Other airports facing significant delays included Phoenix (90 minutes), Chicago’s O’Hare and San Francisco International (one hour each), Dallas Love Field (30 minutes), and Austin, Texas, and Manchester, New Hampshire (approximately 45 minutes each).
These issues appear to be exacerbated by the ongoing government shutdown. Friday, historically one of the busiest days for air travel, has also become one of the worst days for air traffic controller staffing during the shutdown period. Union leaders have suggested that some air traffic controllers are seeking alternative employment to cope with financial difficulties caused by the shutdown and missed paychecks.
Since the start of the shutdown, the FAA has documented 482 reports of staffing problems requiring intervention. This figure is more than four times higher than the number of similar reports during the same period last year, indicating a substantial increase in the severity and frequency of air traffic control staffing issues.