Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
As the government shutdown continues and air traffic controllers are set to miss their first full paychecks this week, air travel in the U.S. is expected to see more flight disruptions. Bad weather from Hurricane Melissa is also expected to cause some disruptions to air travel, per USA Today. Air traffic controllers are considered essential workers and are expected to work without pay during a government shutdown. Because of this, more controllers have been calling in sick and not showing up for shifts, causing staffing shortages that lead to flight delays and cancellations. Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “My message has been to controllers, ‘Show up. That’s your job. Eventually you’re going to be paid.’ But there’s real-life situations that they’re dealing with, with their families,” according to USA Today. Duffy shared that on Saturday there were 22 staffing triggers, which signal staffing shortages. This number is among the highest during the shutdown. According to Reuters, over 8,000 flights were delayed across the U.S. on Sunday, an increase from 5,300 on Saturday. Flights have been delayed at above-average rates since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1. The transportation secretary said that as the week continues there will likely be more staffing shortages in air traffic control towers leading to more flight disruptions, per USA Today. He added that some controllers are looking for second jobs because of concerns over mortgage payments, putting food on the table and paying for child care. On Tuesday, air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck. The paycheck they received two weeks ago was at 90% of their regular pay, but Tuesday’s paycheck will be for the first pay period solely for work done in October, per Reuters. It is still safe to fly as safety remains a top priority in the aviation industry. “If I don’t feel like I have enough controllers or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow down traffic. We will stop traffic and that’s why you see the delays in the system,” Duffy said, per USA Today. What travelers need to know According to USA Today, travelers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport and be prepared to be patient in case of a delay. On Sunday, there were delays to 17% of Delta flights, over 20% of JetBlue flights, 25% of United and Frontier flights, 30% of Spirit flights, 35% of American Airlines flights and 45% of Southwest flights, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. Weather has also played a significant role in these delays and cancellations. According to USA Today, travelers whose flights are canceled for any reason will be eligible for a refund but only if they choose to no longer fly. If they decide to continue their trip, airlines will usually book them on the next available flight with no extra cost. What airports have seen the worst delays? According to The Associated Press, a temporary ground stop was issued at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The ground stop began around 11:42 a.m. EDT and was lifted at 1:30 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration is forecasting possible ground stops or delays on Monday at Boston Logan International Airport, Denver International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport. A ground delay was caused by staffing issues at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday that lasted late into the night, per CNN. There was also a ground delay issued at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. According to CNN, staffing problems don’t always cause delays; air traffic controllers are able to route flights to airspace where more people are working. But sometimes there is no option other than to slow flights down so the controllers who are working can maintain safety. The essential work of air traffic controllers There are around 13,000 air traffic controllers around the country who have to work without pay during the shutdown because of how essential the job is, per Reuters. There are also around 50,000 essential Transportation Security Administration officers who are required to work without pay. According to CNN, the role of air traffic controllers is crucial due to how many flights take off and land every day in the U.S. Each year at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport alone there are close to 800,000 takeoffs or landings. “There’s just too many airplanes, so we need someone else to sort of keep an eye out for if two planes are trying to land on the same runway,” Chad Mourning, an assistant professor of computer science at Ohio University who specializes in aviation safety, told CNN. Controllers also control the ground movement of planes. Unlike when there is traffic on roads, planes can’t stop in the sky while waiting for traffic to clear. That’s part of why air traffic control work is so complicated and important.
