The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a warning that air traffic control operations will be halted for several hours on Monday evening at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California. This situation arises because the airport will not have enough staff due to the government closing, which affects many employees who will be unpaid.
The staffing shortage is expected to kick in at 10:15 PM local time, as reported by ABC News.
While the FAA indicated they were making efforts to bring in extra staff before the deadline, they weren’t able to assure that the staffing needs would be met in time.
In a message to ABC 7, an air traffic controller mentioned that the tower would cease operations promptly at 4:15 PM, with a team from Southern California Tracon — based in San Diego — stepping in to manage the situation. They will coordinate directly with pilots to handle all active flights at the airport.
Despite the looming staffing issues, it remains uncertain how significantly Hollywood Burbank Airport will be impacted and whether the situation could persist throughout the week.
Delays in air travel have already been an ongoing issue since the government closure began, continuing for six days post a Senate vote that failed to resolve the impasse.
During this shutdown, many airport employees, including air traffic controllers, are operating without pay. The last time the government shut down for 35 days—extending into the New Year of 2018—controllers nationwide voiced their frustrations about missed paychecks.
Other airport personnel, particularly security screeners, have also been expressing their concerns for weeks now.
This current lapse has created a severe understaffing problem for both the TSA and FAA, with the latter reportedly short approximately 3,000 air traffic controllers over the past six months.
In a letter to U.S. Senators and House leaders, the Aviation Group highlighted that essential safety inspections and aircraft maintenance could be delayed due to the shutdown.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has pointed fingers at President Trump regarding the staffing crisis at Burbank Airport. He tweeted gratitude, stating, “Thank you @RealdonaldTrump! Burbank Airport will have zero air traffic controllers from 4:15 PM to 10 PM today due to government closure.”
Meanwhile, the majority of Democrats recently dismissed yet another attempt by Republicans to pass a funding bill aimed at resolving the government shutdown issue.
