Flights have resumed at Hollywood Burbank Airport after a period of disruption due to an unstaffed air traffic control tower on Monday.
Dealing with staffing shortages linked to the ongoing government shutdown, dozens of flights were either delayed or canceled.
Airport spokesman Mike Christensen stated that by Tuesday morning, operations were back to normal, with no significant delays in departures or arrivals.
Following the issues on Monday, a total of 56 flights experienced delays and 12 flights were canceled after 4 p.m., as a result of reduced staffing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that the staffing shortages were not isolated to Burbank, affecting other major airports such as Newark Liberty International Airport, Denver International Airport, and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed concerns that flight operations across the United States may continue to face disruptions due to the government shutdown initiated last Wednesday.
Air traffic controllers are required to work without pay during the shutdown, receiving no retroactive compensation until it concludes.
Duffy mentioned that the FAA had seen a slight increase in instances of staff members calling out sick over the past few days.
“Is our airspace unsafe? No,” Duffy affirmed during a news conference.
He elaborated, stating that if there were concerns regarding airspace safety, the FAA would take immediate action to delay flights.
Historically, significant disruptions during federal shutdowns have occurred before; notably, in January 2019, when the FAA temporarily suspended flights into LaGuardia Airport after many air traffic controllers reported sick.
Though that incident only lasted 82 minutes, it intensified pressure on lawmakers to reach a compromise, ultimately leading to an announcement from President Donald Trump that a temporary agreement had been reached.
On Monday, reports indicated that outgoing flights from Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed for an average of two hours and 31 minutes around 5 p.m.
The longest reported delay reached three hours and 55 minutes, primarily attributed to staffing shortages as well as runway construction activities.
Kristen Alsop, an FAA spokesperson, confirmed that staffing issues were the principal cause of the delays.
Although the air traffic control tower was unmanned, air traffic control was still being managed by Southern California TRACON, an FAA-operated organization that employs radar technology to manage safe air traffic around numerous airports in Southern California.
Governor Gavin Newsom placed blame on President Donald Trump for the lack of air traffic controllers at Burbank Airport, particularly during peak hours on a critical travel day.
In his statement posted on X, he said: “Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) echoed concerns surrounding the conditions at Hollywood Burbank Airport, labeling it as an example of the fragility of the aviation system amidst a critical shortage of controllers.
They stated that NATCA has consistently highlighted how the controller staffing shortage poses vulnerabilities to the aviation system, calling for quicker training and hiring initiatives.
The union revealed that nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers continue to work unpaid during the shutdown, many of whom are putting in 10-hour shifts up to six days each week.
NATCA has committed to collaborating with the FAA to alleviate travel disruptions and is advocating to improve hiring rates for air traffic controllers.
With the government shutdown now in its sixth day, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs or are working without compensation, resulting in numerous federal operations being scaled back or suspended.
image source from：latimes
