Burbank Airport Faces Air Traffic Controller Shortage
Burbank Airport Faces Air Traffic Controller Shortage Amid Government Shutdown
As the federal government shutdown reaches the one-week mark, we’ve begun to see the ripple effects in day-to-day life. On Monday night, Hollywood Burbank Airport , commonly referred to as Burbank Airport, was among several airports hit with significant flight delays due to a staffing shortage of air traffic controllers.
According to the New York Times, delays at Hollywood Burbank Airport averaged two and a half hours due to the air traffic control tower having no controllers on duty. Management of Burbank’s incoming flights was redirected to the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control in San Diego, which is one of the world’s busiest air traffic control facilities.
While LAX is Southern California’s marquee airport, Burbank Airport is quite popular due to how close it is to Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. It also helps that it isn’t as much of a nightmare to navigate as LAX.
In addition to Burbank Airport, Newark’s Liberty International Airport in New Jersey had flight delays averaging an hour, and Denver International Airport had flight delays averaging 40 minutes.
Air traffic controllers, like most federal employees, are required to work through the shutdown, though they will only be paid retroactively. While there wasn’t an exact reason given for the staffing shortage at Burbank Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said there’s been an uptick in sick calls since the government shutdown began.
“If we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a news conference ahead of Monday’s delays.
Duffy explained that the uptick in sick leave is likely due to workers taking on side jobs to cover the lack of pay. “If someone has to take sick leave to drive Uber to make the difference, those are decisions they’re going to make themselves,” Duffy said.
“So now what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace, is, ‘How am I going to pay my mortgage? How do I make my car payment?’” Duffy added. “Do I think they’re more stressed right now in our towers? Yes. Is our airspace unsafe? No.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union had warned of a national shortage of air traffic controllers before the government shutdown even began. “It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals,” the union said.
While federal employees are prohibited by law from striking, there are so few air traffic controllers that a few of them taking sick leave can have wide-ranging effects on travel. The 35-day government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 ended shortly after 10 air traffic controllers called in sick. The lack of air traffic controllers, along with the security backups caused by TSA agents calling in sick, resulted in air travel slowing to a crawl. This put enough pressure on Congress and President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal that would reopen the government.
With the U.S. Senate failing to pass legislation on Monday that would end the shutdown, and negotiations at a standstill between Democrats and Republicans, it’s quite likely that air traffic delays are going to get worse before they get better.
SEE ALSO:
The Government Shutdown Has Officially Happened
What Does A Government Shutdown Mean For Black People?
Burbank Airport Faces Air Traffic Controller Shortage Amid Government Shutdown was originally published on newsone.com
