Towers Report an Increasing Number of Missing Controllers Amid Shutdown

As the government shutdown drags into the double digits, air traffic control facilities across the US are reporting growing staff shortages… and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is running out of patience. Eleven major airspace sectors were short on controllers to close out October 9, including Chicago O’Hare, Newark, Boston Center, and Orlando.

You don’t need to be a pilot or work in the industry to see the result of these shortages. There have been ongoing delays and mounting frustration from both airlines and passengers.

The FAA confirmed that several control towers and regional centers were operating below normal levels, though not all shortages led to major disruptions. Controllers can reroute flights to less congested airspace when possible. Still, staffing gaps at six facilities on October 8, including Denver International and Reagan National, left roughly a quarter of flights delayed.

Duffy blamed a “small fraction” of controllers for “lashing out” during the shutdown by calling in sick or skipping shifts.

“If we have a continual small subset of controllers that don’t show up to work… they’re the problem children,” he said. “We need more controllers, but we need the best and the brightest, the dedicated controllers, and if we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go.”

Under federal law, air traffic controllers are considered essential employees, meaning they must work even without pay during a shutdown. Strikes or coordinated sickouts are illegal. Their union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, urged members to report for duty and reminded them that “there are processes and procedures in place to deal with the inappropriate use of sick leave.”

So far, airlines haven’t seemed too distraught. Delta said its operations remain “largely unaffected,” completing nearly all scheduled flights in early October. Southwest, which has heavy operations in several impacted cities, warned staff to “stay vigilant,” acknowledging that controller shortages could “change rapidly at any facility.”

FMI: www.natca.org