According to federal aviation authorities, the air traffic control tower at Burbank Airport in Hollywood is temporarily unmanned, with flights postponed Monday afternoon due to ongoing government closures.
Speaker Kristen Alsop said the FAA expects the airport’s air traffic control tower to have no staff until 10 p.m. The tower has no staff starting from 4:15 pm
Air traffic controllers are working for free due to the government closure. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the FAA has seen a small rise in air traffic control workers calling patients during the closure.
As of 5 p.m., upcoming flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed by an average of two hours and 31 minutes due to staff shortages and runway construction, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). At that time, the maximum reported delay was three hours and 55 minutes.
Althorp said the staff shortage was the main problem that led to delays.
Although the air control tower is unmanned, Traken, Southern California, will control air traffic in the airport’s airspace, Althorpe said. The San Diego-based organization is operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and uses radar technology to ensure safe flow of aircraft in the airspace around dozens of Southern California airports.
Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly blamed President Trump for staffing challenges.
“Thank you, @realdonaldtrump! The air traffic controller at Burbank Airport is 4:15 pm today to 10 pm today because your government is closed,” he said in a statement on X.
The National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, a trade union representing air controllers, said the ongoing problems at the Burbank Airport in Hollywood are “the latest example of our aviation system’s shortage of these key safety professionals nationwide.”
“Nataka has been warning that the shortage of controller staff makes the system vulnerable, and today’s event highlights the urgent need to accelerate training and recruitment,” the union said in a statement to the Times.
The union said nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers will continue to work without paying during the closure, many of whom work 10 hours a week. NACTA said it is working with the FAA to mitigate interference with travelers and will continue to work to increase the hiring rate of air traffic controllers.
The FAA said a shortage of air traffic control personnel caused delays at several airports on Monday, including Newark Liberty International, Denver International Airport and Harry Reed International Airport in Las Vegas.
Monday marks the sixth day of the government’s closure, during which thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or paid work, and many agency operations have been suspended or reduced.
