“Burbank tower having to go ATC Zero tonight isn’t something that’s abnormal,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), as quoted by CNN. “Issues with staffing at Nashville or other places are not a rarity. These are things that we deal with day in and day out.”
According to FlightAware, about 70 flights were affected at Burbank alone, with average delays surpassing two and a half hours. The FAA later warned that Chicago O’Hare International Airport — which handles over 1,000 flights daily — would operate at reduced capacity for nine hours, triggering an average 41-minute delay per flight.
Nationwide Staffing Shortfalls Worsen
Similar disruptions have been reported in Houston, Newark, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas, with Nashville’s approach control center shutting down for five hours last week. Reuters confirmed that both Houston airports — Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental — experienced ground delays on Tuesday due to critical staffing gaps.
