U.S. Transportation Secretary: 53% of flight delays are caused by staffing shortages
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On October 24th, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the U.S. government shutdown, now in its 24th day, would cause air traffic controllers to miss their first paycheck. With controllers requesting leave daily, more flight delays are expected.
Duffy said that typically, about 5% of flight delays are caused by insufficient controller staffing. Now, that figure has reached 53%.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA screeners are working without pay during the shutdown. Controllers may not receive their paychecks next Tuesday, the 28th.
"I think as we get closer to Tuesday, you're going to see even more disruption," Duffy said. "If we don't have enough controllers, if they're understressed and their performance is reduced...we're going to have to reduce airport capacity or cancel flights," Duffy said. "I'm not too concerned about you arriving on time; I want you to be safe."
He also noted that the FAA's air traffic controller academy will run out of funding within weeks, and some students have already dropped out. Airlines are also preparing for wider operational disruptions. On the 23rd, staffing shortages were reported at 12 air traffic control centers across the United States, including control towers at Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark, and Phoenix airports; terminal radar control centers handling arrivals and departures from Houston, Newark, and Southern California; and centers handling high-altitude flights around Albuquerque, Atlanta, Denver, and New York.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said pressure on controllers is growing, with some forced to work part-time to make ends meet. They are unable to fully focus on their jobs, which makes the aviation system less safe.
The FAA has 3,500 fewer controllers than its projected number, many of whom were already working overtime and six days a week before the government shutdown.
In 2019, a 35-day government shutdown led to similar staffing shortages and flight delays until lawmakers reached a deal to restore funding.