Burbank Airport with empty air traffic control tower due to US shutdown | ca
The air traffic control tower at the airport in Burbank, California, will be empty for about six hours on Monday as controllers begin calling in in larger numbers due to the government shutdown.
From 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m., the FAA expects that there will not be any air traffic controllers in their tower, although ABC News.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers will still have to report to work during the shutdown. They are not being paid and controllers are set to miss their first paycheck on October 14.
Transport Minister Sean Duffy said that at times, air traffic staffing had been reduced by 50% in some areas since the lockdown began last week.
The FAA said air traffic control staffing issues are affecting flights at several airports including Newark, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Burbank.
Delays will result from reduced staffing, Duffy said, adding that if sick calls increase, air traffic flow will be reduced to a rate that maintains air safety.
Flights out of Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed by an average of 1 hour and 51 minutes as of 5:30 p.m., According to FAAwith a maximum delay of 2 hours and 35 minutes. The FAA report noted that the tower had zero air traffic controllers and staffing was listed as a condition for the delay.
Although the air control tower is unmanned, the Southern California Triacon (Terminal Radar Approach Control) will control air traffic in the airport’s airspace, the FAA said. This facility provides air traffic control for arriving and departing flights in the area.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to blame Donald Trump for the hiring shortage. in Social media postNewsom wrote: “Thanks, @realdonaldtrump! Burbank Airport has air traffic controllers open from 4:15pm to 10pm today due to your government shutdown.”
Duffy and the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association spoke at a news conference at Newark Liberty International Airport to discuss the effects of the closure. The airport is one of three serving the Democratic New York metropolitan area, and is a major hub for United Airlines.
Duffy noticed the consoles worriedly. “They’re thinking, ‘Am I going to get a paycheck?’ “Should I take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing an already stressful job?” Duffy said, adding that some ask themselves: “Should I take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing an already stressful job?”
The union on Monday reminded workers that “participation in a work action could result in removal from federal service” and that it was illegal.
“It is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue to deliver the consistent high levels of public service we provide every day,” the union told members. “We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our professions.”
In 2019, during the 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA employees spiked as workers missed payroll, extending into checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York, putting pressure on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff.