#air-traffic-control-staffing

#air-traffic-control-staffing

Airlines have canceled more 9,000 flights across the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts late last week, mostly to ease demand on control towers that are short-staffed during the federal government shutdown. Although the government appears to be moving to reopen in the coming days, airport disruptions, flight cancellations and economic losses won't go away all at once.

Staffing shortages hit Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Thursday, triggering delays of an hour or more. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alert says there is a lack of staff in Philadelphia Area C, which is a sector of controlled airspace that many flights to and from Newark and other Northeast airports must pass through. This airspace is managed by air traffic controllers who are responsible for sequencing and separating aircraft safely as they pass through the sector at altitudes ranging from the surface up to high cruising levels.