DENVER — People flying out of Denver International Airport should make sure to pack their patience as delays are likely due to staffing shortages at the airport’s air traffic control tower beginning at around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
In an advisory published Tuesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Denver International Airport would activate staffing triggers at the airport’s air traffic control tower from 6 p.m. through 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The staffing triggers indicate when an airport’s air traffic control towers have insufficient staff to safely manage flights going in and out of their airspace, which forces the FAA to either delay or completely stop air traffic temporarily.
The staffing shortages at DIA’s air traffic control tower are the latest example of real-life impacts being felt across the nation due to the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 35th day.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted there could be chaos in the skies by next week if the shutdown drags on and air traffic controllers miss a second paycheck.
Scripps News Life
Transportation Secretary warns of 'mass chaos' in skies if shutdown continues
Last weekend saw some of the worst staff shortages and on Sunday, flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were delayed for several hours.
Most of the flight disruptions so far during the shutdown have been isolated and temporary. But if delays become more widespread and start to ripple throughout the system, the pressure will mount on Congress to reach an agreement to end the shutdown.
Major airlines, aviation unions and the travel industry have been urging Congress to end this shutdown as soon as possible by voting to support the clean funding resolution that Republicans have proposed.
The U.S. Travel Association said in a letter to Congressional leaders this week that the economy has already lost more than $4 billion because of the shutdown, and the industry worries the impact will get significantly worse if the shutdown continues into the holiday travel season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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