Transportation secretary says figure is ‘one of the highest we’ve seen’ since 1 October as shutdown drags on
US airports have reported more than 20 incidents of air traffic controller shortages on Saturday, said Sean Duffy, transportation secretary, in the latest sign of the government shutdown’s impact.
Through the shutdown of the federal government, around 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers must work without pay during the shutdown.
The FAA is around 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, which had many to work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks before the shutdown began.
consider how competitive is to become an ATC, i think would have a huge effect. Also the shortage that has been there for decades hasnt gone away.
Towers are staffed on a shoestring budget with wildly constrictive time off rules, and levels have never come back up to pre Reagan. Every missing controller makes a big ripple in a small pond