Staffing shortages led to more flight delays at airports in Chicago and across the U.S. Tuesday, with the federal government shutdown now stretching into an eighth day and Congress still at an impasse on negotiations.
Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities.
Earlier in the week, flight disruptions tied to insufficient staffing were reported at airports in Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver.
At O’Hare International Airport, a Ground Delay Program was issued between 6 p.m. and 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, with departing flights seeing average delays of around 40 minutes. According to the FAA, GDPs are implemented to control air traffic volume where the projected traffic demand is expected to exceed the airport’s capacity. Under the measure, air traffic control is forced to combine positions and space flights further apart to ensure safety.
As of Wednesday morning, no ground delays were issued at either O’Hare or Midway Airports. According to the website flychicago.com, 25 flights at O’Hare were delayed, with two flights delayed at Midway.
Could the shutdown impact holiday travel?
The risk of wider impacts to the U.S. aviation system “is growing by the day” as federal workers whose jobs are deemed critical continue working without pay, travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said. The longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely it is to affect holiday travel plans in November, he said.
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“I’m gravely concerned that if the government remains shut down then, that it could disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays,” Harteveldt said in a statement.
Air travel complications are likely to expand once a regularly scheduled payday arrives next week and air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers don’t receive any money, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told The Associated Press Tuesday.
If the impasse between Republican and Democratic lawmakers on reopening the government persists, the workers will come under more pressure as their personal bills come due, Daniels said.
“It’s completely unfair that an air traffic controller is the one that holds the burden of ‘see how long you can hang in there in order to allow this political process to play out,’” he said.
In a statement, The Chicago Department Aviation, which manages Midway and O’Hare airports, said safety and security remain the “highest priorities” at Chicago airports.
“The CDA is closely monitoring the potential impacts of a federal government shutdown and will work with our federal partners — including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — to track any effects on staffing and regular services,” the statement went on to say. “The CDA is also reviewing how a shutdown may affect upcoming plans for the traveling public. Should disruptions occur, the department stands ready to assist our airport partners and support travelers in navigating any inconvenience.”
Air traffic controllers calling out sick
Because air traffic controllers are considered essential employees, they are continuing to work without getting paid. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the government shutdown is likely taking a toll on already-overburdened controllers.
“Our priorities are safety,” Duffy said at a press briefing Monday. “And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”
Duffy also said there had been a slight increase in sick calls since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1.
Daniels said the shutdown highlighted some issues his union’s members already face on a regular basis due to a national airspace system that is critically understaffed and relies on outdated equipment that tends to fail.
A couple of controllers missing work can have a big impact at a small airport already operating with limited tower staffing, he said.
“It’s not like we have other controllers that can suddenly come to that facility and staff them. There’s not enough people there,” Daniels said. “There’s no overtime, and you have to be certified in that facility.”
When NBC Chicago asked specific questions about delays, the FAA said it couldn’t respond to media inquiries because of the shutdown.