This weekend had the worst air traffic control staffing shortages since the start of the government shutdown, according to a CNN analysis of Federal Aviation Administration operations plans.
Between Friday morning and Sunday night, 98 FAA facilities reported a “staffing trigger,” which means air traffic controllers had to alter operations to keep the airspace safe with fewer people working. These steps can include rerouting planes or delaying flights when there are not enough controllers to handle the normal workload.
In total, 46 facilities were short-staffed on Friday, 34 on Saturday, and 18 on Sunday.
Control towers in Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Newark, and Phoenix were short-staffed. Shifts of controllers who deal with flights en route at high altitude, and other controllers who handle approaching and departing airports, were also short-staffed.
The team that manages flights headed to Newark Liberty International Airport reported more staffing triggers than any other single operation.
A “surge” in controllers calling out on Halloween “strained” staffing at half of the 30 largest airports in the country, according to the FAA. Nearly 80% of air traffic controllers were out Friday at facilities in the New York City area.
“Air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue. The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays,” the FAA said Friday.
As the shutdown continues, “it’s only going to get worse,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday on CBS.
“Does it become a flight emergency, a safety issue? No, we will stop traffic. So, we’re not going to let that happen. I think the real consequence is, what kind of rolling delays do you have throughout the system?”
Since the shutdown, 393 facilities have reported a staffing trigger, four times as many as were reported on the same dates last year.