Shutdown spotlights a persistent problem: Too few air traffic controllers
The Federal Aviation Administration faces a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers, according to the Experts say many controllers work six-day weeks, and that a skeletal staff means that even small interruptions can cause flight delays and cancellations.
That鈥檚 what happened on Monday, when California鈥檚 Hollywood Burbank Airport closed its tower for several hours because it had no air traffic controllers, though the airport remained open. While Monday also saw staffing shortages at other airports, as well as a cascade of flight cancellations, disruptions have been far fewer in subsequent days.
鈥淚t only takes one or two sick calls to create something like that at a facility that is so understaffed,鈥� says Mick Devine, executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a union representing many air traffic controllers. 鈥淭he problems that we鈥檝e been 鈥� warning everybody about for years, people are now getting eyes on what it really means.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
Delays resurfaced at multiple airports this week because of air traffic controller shortages. The current shutdown might have a greater effect on the FAA鈥檚 attempt to hire enough workers to fully staff the nation鈥檚 airports.
Starting Friday, air traffic controllers will be working without pay. The attention on airline travel brought by the government shutdown is highlighting the vulnerabilities created by having bare-bones staff. And, as the FAA tries to fill the gap, it faces a potential obstacle: The shutdown could set back hiring and training efforts.
Is the shutdown affecting flights?
During a shutdown, all operational air traffic controllers are deemed essential workers and are required to come to work. Some support staff, such as finance officers and IT specialists, are furloughed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference on Monday that there had been a slight uptick in the number of controllers calling in sick since the shutdown started. He said Americans might see more delays during the shutdown, adding that air traffic controllers may experience extra strain.
鈥淣ow, what [controllers] think about as they鈥檙e controlling our airspace is 鈥� Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I鈥檓 already exhausted from doing a job that鈥檚 already stressful to think about how I can make extra money because the government may not provide me a paycheck?鈥� Secretary Duffy said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has a new on its website urging members not to engage in any coordinated efforts that would disrupt air travel.
On Monday, with Burbank鈥檚 tower closed for hours and other airports experiencing staffing shortages, more than flights were delayed.
Mr. Devine doesn鈥檛 believe the delays are caused by 鈥渟ick-outs.鈥� He says tower shutdowns such as the one at Burbank Airport have occurred more than 100 times this year at various locations 鈥� the result of a strained system that鈥檚 already operating at limited capacity.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 affected by the shutdown, it wasn鈥檛 caused by the shutdown, it was just highlighted by the shutdown,鈥� he says.
Air traffic controllers will receive a partial paycheck on Oct. 14, but will not receive money on subsequent paydays if the shutdown continues. A new draft White House memo says federal workers are not guaranteed back pay for their forced time off (or unpaid work) during a shutdown, despite a 2019 law designed to ensure that back pay is provided. Historically, federal workers have always received compensation when a government shutdown ends.
What are the long-standing issues with shortages?
A CBS News of FAA data in January found that more than 90% of air traffic control towers were understaffed relative to a target set by the agency, and more than 40% weren鈥檛 meeting a minimal agency standard.
The federal government has been trying to close that gap for several years. In 2024, under the Biden administration, the FAA turned out new recruits, the most in nearly a decade. On Sept. 23, Mr. Duffy the Department of Transportation surpassed that number with 2,026 new controllers, exceeding its hiring goals for fiscal year 2025.
The FAA has said it to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers by late 2028. But it also plans to lose 6,872 workers because of retirements and other reasons, leaving it short of the additional 3,000 air traffic controllers needed to fully staff airports across the country.
Michael McCormick, an associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a certified control tower operator, says the pandemic and other government shutdowns are driving staffing shortages.
COVID-19 disrupted the training and hiring process and, he says, led to a wave of early retirements given an uncertain work environment.
Government shutdowns have a similar effect. Typically, the FAA has frozen the hiring and training of air traffic controllers during shutdowns. All controllers are funneled through an academy in Oklahoma City. The academy can only graduate a certain number of people each year, and it鈥檚 often several more years before trainees can become certified. So, if a shutdown causes a group of recruits to miss training, the effects can be felt years into the future.
鈥淭he 2018-2019 shutdown is one of the major reasons why we鈥檙e in the scenario that we鈥檙e in today,鈥� says Mr. Devine, referencing the interruptions in training.
During the current shutdown, the training center is operating on emergency funding that will last 30 days.
But if that funding runs out, warns Mr. Devine, 鈥測ou鈥檙e looking at probably even worse staffing in 3 or 4 years than we have today.鈥�
How did travel delays affect the most recent shutdown?
On Jan. 25, 2019, a few air traffic controllers calling out sick caused delays at airports in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. That same day, President Donald Trump ended a 35-day federal shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Both Democrats and Republicans had raised concerns the shutdown was putting too much stress on airports.
Now, each side is tying the recent delays to the shutdown, and blaming each other.
鈥淭hanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown,鈥� wrote California Gov. Gavin Newsom on X on Monday.
鈥淭he reason we are shut down is because YOUR party can鈥檛 get its priorities straight,鈥� Secretary Duffy.
Dr. McCormick hopes the shutdown can help highlight the real people in the airline industry who are affected.
鈥淸Our air traffic controllers] work hard, they鈥檙e dedicated, they are professional. But at the end of the day, they鈥檙e human,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd when policymakers then have the opportunity to see them as what they are 鈥� people 鈥� and the impact it鈥檚 doing to them, that I think is a motivation to come together and reopen government.鈥�
聽Editor's note: This story was corrected on Oct. 10, the day after initial publication, to reflect that an additional 3,000 air traffic controllers are needed to fully staff U.S. airports.
