Shutdown Causing Havoc at Airports
The ongoing government shutdown is causing significant disruptions at airports across the country. Florida's busiest airport, Orlando International, was recently hit with a ground delay due to staffing shortages.
This holdup lasted several hours and resulted in departures being delayed by an average of 2.7 hours. The holdup was due to a lack of certified air traffic controllers, causing the grounding of flights from late evening until early morning.
Improvements in Staffing
Initially, the airport was unable to land incoming flights for a period due to the absence of certified air traffic controllers. However, the situation improved later on, with an announcement of an increase in staffing for the central Florida air traffic control center. The airport's spokesperson attributed the ground delay to staffing issues and confirmed that the delay program had indeed lowered the rate of arrivals at the airport, with passengers likely to experience an average delay of about 2.5 hours.
Other Airports Also Hit
The problems aren't isolated to Orlando. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, also experienced ground delays averaging 90 minutes due to staffing issues. These issues are the latest in a series of setbacks for American airports dealing with staffing shortages, delays, and cancellations as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers continue to work without pay.
Los Angeles International Airport faced a similar predicament when flights destined for the city were suspended due to a staffing shortage. A temporary ground stop was issued, resulting in planes headed for Los Angeles being held at originating airports, with delays averaging an hour and 40 minutes.
The Impact on Federal Employees
This week saw federal employees, including air traffic controllers, receive paychecks for zero dollars for the first time, as the shutdown has now lasted over a month. These developments have led to airlines calling on Congress to reopen the government immediately, warning that the lack of pay "only increases the stress on these essential workers, many of whom are already working mandatory overtime to keep our skies safe and secure."
Existing Problems Amplified
The current crisis is exacerbating issues that were already present before the shutdown, such as staffing shortages and demanding work schedules for controllers. Air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals often work schedules of six days a week and 10-hour days. With the shutdown and the likelihood of missed paychecks, some have taken on second jobs to support their families and pay bills.
Calls for Shutdown to End
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a labor union, and aviation safety organization, has called for the end of the shutdown and distributed leaflets to raise awareness. The group emphasized the grueling schedules that air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals often work, and how the shutdown has led to even more hardship for these critical workers.