BURBANK (CNS) – Air traffic controllers were scheduled to return to work and full staffing of the control tower at Hollywood Burbank Airport Tuesday after travelers encountered delays Monday amid a staffing shortage linked to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Flight operations were scheduled to return to normal Tuesday with flights starting at 7:00 a.m., according to the operations employee on duty.
On Monday Burbank Airport had no air traffic controllers in its tower from 4:15 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration said the airport was expected to remain without controllers until about 10 p.m., but officials were working to bring in staff as soon as possible. It is unclear if controllers were actually back in the tower at 10:00 p.m. Monday night.
According to the FAA’s website, several measures were put in place, including ground delays at airports in other cities. The agency said departures to Burbank Airport were delayed an average of 151 minutes.
ABC 7 reported that air traffic controllers headed home at 4:15 p.m. and the tower was left unstaffed. Duties were handed off to Southern California TRACON, a departure team based in San Diego, which coordinated with pilots arriving and departing from Burbank Airport.
Earlier in the day, airport spokesman Mike Christensen told City News Service that “operations and flights were running normally,” but referred further questions to the FAA once the staffing shortage took effect.
“As Secretary (Sean) Duffy said, there have been increased staffing shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations,” according to the FAA.
Gov. Gavin Newsom blamed the situation on the shutdown, posting on X, “Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. today because of YOUR government shutdown.”
The government shutdown entered its sixth day Monday as Democrats and Republicans remained at odds over a funding plan. Both a GOP-backed stopgap measure and a Democratic alternative failed to advance in the Senate.
The last federal shutdown lasted 35 days in 2018-19 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
The FAA advised passengers to check https://fly.faa.gov for real-time flight impacts.
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