LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The ongoing federal government shutdown is causing significant disruptions at smaller airports, with Hollywood-Burbank Airport experiencing flight delays due to an unstaffed control tower.
This situation underscores the potential ripple effects of staffing issues at smaller airports, which could impact major hubs like Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Fewer than 20 flights a day connect Burbank and Las Vegas, but the recent events at Hollywood-Burbank highlight the broader implications of staffing shortages.
Rachel Smith, the News 3 Entertainment Correspondent, was among the passengers affected by the delays.
“It never starts off good when you start getting the alerts from the airline that your flight at 5 is now delayed until 8:30,” she said.
Smith described the airport as a “ghost town” with people scrambling and leaving.
“The big concerns were people who had connections; people had to get back for surgeries, or for work, really important reasons to get home. So what happened is that about three hours later, they were gonna start boarding us at 7:30 without anyone in the tower, so I was asking airport personnel how we were gonna fly without air traffic controllers,” said Smith.
The control tower at Hollywood-Burbank was unmanned from about 4 p.m. until around 10 p.m. yesterday.
Aviation expert and pilot Reed Yadon noted that while some shortages can be managed temporarily, prolonged issues pose a greater risk, particularly for major airports like Harry Reid.
“If there are shortages in FAA facilities, it could take longer to get aircraft in the air and longer to get them where they’re going,” Yadon said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that safety remains the top priority.
“Is our airspace unsafe? No, right? If we think there’s issues in the airspace, we will shut it down,” Duffy stated.
Despite the lack of air traffic controllers, a team from San Diego stepped in to manage the airspace in Southern California.
