Air traffic controllers working again at Hollywood Burbank Airport after hourslong absence

Hollywood Burbank Airport was back to usual operations Tuesday after suffering delays and cancellations Monday due to an hourslong lack of air traffic controllers.

Mike Christensen, the airport’s spokesman, confirmed that “things are back to normal,” reported the Los Angeles Times.

The California airport had no air traffic controllers on duty from 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration told Los Angeles’ KNBC.

Instead, Southern California TRACON, a radar facility in San Diego, handled flights in and out of Burbank.

The Burbank complication led to 91 flights being delayed and 10 being canceled Monday, according to FlightAware.

As government employees, air traffic controllers are going without pay due to the government shutdown. To counteract this, some controllers are taking sick leave, causing the staffing shortfall.

“We are tracking sick calls, sick leave. Have we had a slight tick up in sick calls? Yes. And then you’ll see delays that come from that, right? … If we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference Monday.

Staffing issues also affected Denver International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, although less dramatically than at Burbank, according to The Associated Press.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union has called for a swift end to the shutdown to keep operations as smooth as possible.

“People can feel safe flying, but that’s because of the men and women that I represent, the air traffic controllers that are shouldering this burden day in and day out. … Every single day that this [shutdown] goes, it’s more stress on their back. It’s an unnecessary distraction that needs to end,” NATCA President Nick Daniels told PBS on Friday.

Transportation officials are also trying to stop staffing shortfalls by hiring more.

Mr. Duffy posted on X that “we are bringing a record amount of new air traffic controllers into the system by speeding up the admissions process. We have hired 20% more controllers this year.”

He touted a pay scale that starts at $180,000 and goes as high as $400,000.