The air traffic control tower was unexcavated. Is this the breaking point for the US government shutdown?

Of all the responses a pilot doesn’t want to hear when radio air traffic control is in, “The tower is closed due to personnel” is probably pretty high on the list.

But that’s what apparently happened Monday at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California as the pilot prepared for takeoff and looked to coordinate his departure, according to audio recorded by Liveatc.net and reported by CNN.

An air traffic control tower in Burbank was temporarily down on Monday, one of several accidents at US airports caused by Hiring shortages during the government shutdown. In consulting, Federal Aviation Administration The FAA said flights at Burbank Airport were delayed by about two hours due to “staffing,” noting that its tower had “zero” air traffic control.

An FAA spokesman said Los Angeles Times The tower was unstaffed from 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time, during which time the San Diego Air Traffic Control Facility controlled air traffic.

The government shutdown that began last week on A Blocked financing Widespread service disruptions have scarred the faces of hundreds of thousands of civil servants.

CBC News has reached out to the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) for comment and have yet to hear back. In an automated response, the FAA warned that it would have limited communications “due to a lapse in funding.”

Governor of California Gavin Newsom He blames US President Donald Trump for what happened in Burbank, Trump is to blame ‘Democrats delay’ any aviation issues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blames the lockdown To put more stress on already stressed air traffic controllers.

But amidst all the finger-pointing, you may be wondering – why is this even happening? Will passenger safety be affected? Is there an end in sight?

We’ll break it down here.

First of all, was what happened in Burbank serious?

according to CNNIt may seem surprising that he had an unmanned air traffic control tower, but it was more of a logistical headache that caused the delay. CNN said the flights could take off and land, but they had to follow procedures “typically used at small airports without control towers.”

Tracon, a San-Diego facility, was controlling air traffic remotely, leaving the pilots to communicate among themselves as they taxied to and from the runway, According to Business Insider.

In a statement to Los Angeles TimesNatka said what happened in Burbank was “the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals.”

Air traffic controllers resumed operations on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

On Monday, the FAA’s chief operating officer confirmed that the air traffic control system remains safe.

“It’s very safe. But we have to be on the cutting edge of making sure our air traffic controllers and controllers have the best of it,” Franklin McIntosh said.

Shouldn’t air traffic controllers keep working?

Yes. But they have not been paid, and the FAA said staffing issues are delaying flights, while Duffy said there has been an uptick in controllers taking sick leave.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers will still have to report to work during the shutdown.

Controllers are set to receive partial pay on October 14 for work performed before the shutdown.

Union on Monday The workers mentioned that “Participation in an employment action could result in removal from federal service” and that doing so would be illegal.

“It is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue to deliver the consistent overall levels of public service we provide every day.

“We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our professions.”

Then what is the problem?

Controllers are expected to continue working without their salaries, so they are now worried about how to pay their bills in addition to worrying about keeping flights safe, Duffy said.

At times, air traffic staffing has been reduced by 50 percent in some areas since the lockdown began last week, Duffy said.

Duffy noticed the consoles worriedly. “They’re thinking, ‘Am I going to get paid?'” Duffy said.

in Statement on x, The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA) explained that controllers working without pay put a strain on the workforce.

“Expect confirmation on sentiment, retention and absentee rates, especially if the lockdown continues,” Katka wrote.

The association added that the closure also reduces support and stalls in recruiting and training, and could cause an operational slowdown.

“To maintain safety margins, traffic levels may need to be restricted or rolled back. Delays and cancellations are more likely, especially in congested airspace.”

How does this affect flights?

Staffing issues were impacting flights at several airports Monday including Newark, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Burbank, according to the FAA. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said many flights were being delayed at airports in Nashville and Newark, among others.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Nashville Air Traffic Control is experiencing significant staffing issues and will reduce operations later Tuesday. He added that control of the approach would later be taken over by the Memphis center.

Flightaware said more than 4,000 flights in the United States on Monday were delayed, including 29 percent of flights arriving in Denver, 19 percent of Newark flights and 15 percent of Las Vegas flights. On Tuesday afternoon, there were 2,152 flight delays in, out of or outside the United States, and 58 cancellations, according to the flight tracking website.

Catca, the Canadian Federation, noted that ripple effects may also affect Canadian cross-border travelers.

“Canadian air traffic and flights flying into or near U.S. airspace may experience delays or flow restrictions (such as ground delay programs),” Katka wrote in its statement.

Could this be the breaking point?

There is precedent.

In 2019, during the 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA staff spiked with workers missing paychecks, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports.

You may remember that Canadian air traffic controllers Send pizza to their American counterparts as a gesture of solidarity. A union representative for Natka told CBC’s Current At a time when air traffic controllers have been forced to work second jobs between shifts where they are responsible for the safety of thousands of passengers.

Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York, putting pressure on lawmakers End the confrontation quickly. Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said at the time that the shutdown “pushed our airspace to the breaking point.”

in Press conference MondayNick Daniels, president of Natca, urged it to end.

“We need this shutdown so the FAA and committed aviation safety professionals can put this distraction aside and fully focus on their vital work.”