Burbank airport without air traffic controllers Monday night

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(The Center Square) – A major airport near Los Angeles was without air traffic controllers for several hours Monday night.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is blaming the federal shutdown for the Hollywood Burbank Airport going without air traffic controllers, even though they are essential workers. That means they must keep working. They normally would get paid next week, but they won’t get their paychecks if the shutdown is continuing, as previously reported by The Center Square.

For now, the nation’s nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers are starting to call in sick.

“Thanks, @realDonaldTrump. Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown,” Newsom posted on X Monday.

The shutdown is happening because Republicans can't get the five Democrats they need in the Senate for the required 60 votes to pass the House-passed Continuing Resolution. Democrats are insisting the agreement should keep the Obamacare Premium Tax Credits from expiring in December.

Air traffic controllers were scheduled to return to work as usual on Tuesday in Burbank.

Flights on Monday night were handled remotely by Southern California TRACON, an approach-and-departure team in San Diego, according to media reports.

Flights were delayed an average of 151 minutes at the Burbank airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Staffing issues were also reported at air traffic controller facilities at airports in Denver and Phoenix, according to media reports.

A website, www.flightaware.com, showed there were 6,145 delays for flights within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday. The number of cancelled flights within, into or out of the U.S. was 84.

Forty-two flights, making up 23% of all departing flights Monday, were delayed leaving Hollywood Burbank Airport, according to flightaware.com. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport saw 120 flights or 17% of its departing flights delayed; San Francisco International, 91 flights or 14%, and San Diego International Airport, 49 flights or 12%.

Forty-nine arriving flights or 24% of all arriving flights were delayed Monday in Burbank. Los Angeles International Airport saw delays for 134 arriving flights or 15% of all arriving flights on Monday.

Elsewhere in the Southwest, Denver International Airport saw 377 flights or 35% of all arriving flights delayed. Media reports put the total number of arriving and departing flights that were delayed at more than 600 in Denver and more than 200 in Phoenix.

For its part, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing the workers, is discouraging air traffic controllers from calling in sick to protest against the shutdown and the risk they won't get paid.

“Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service,” the NATCA said on natca.org. “It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”

The union is advocating for the end to the federal shutdown on its website and through remarks by its president, Nick Daniels.