Hollywood Burbank Airport Left Without Air Traffic Controllers as Shutdown Drags On
As the government shutdown stretches into its second week, chaos is spreading to the skies. California’s Hollywood Burbank Airport was left without a single air traffic controller in its tower for nearly six hours on Monday — a dangerous consequence of the ongoing federal funding crisis.
The FAA warned that from 4:15 p.m. to around 10:00 p.m., no controllers would be staffing the tower due to a shortage of exempt personnel. Instead, pilots were forced to rely on Southern California TRACON — a radar-based approach control team located in San Diego — to manage all arrivals and departures remotely.
ABC 7 confirmed the tower closure, reporting that controllers vacated the facility promptly at 4:15 p.m. with no guarantee anyone would return before nightfall. The FAA, now operating with a skeleton crew, responded to press inquiries with an auto-reply explaining that its media operations were shut down due to a “lapse in funding.”
This is just the latest disruption tied to the ongoing government shutdown. The FAA has been short more than 3,000 air traffic controllers for over six months, and the current freeze on hiring, training, and overtime has pushed the system to the brink.
California Governor Gavin Newsom wasted no time pinning blame on President Trump, writing on X:
“Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown.”
The shutdown began after Senate Democrats blocked a GOP-led stopgap funding bill over disputes tied to healthcare policy. Republicans argue Democrats are holding government operations hostage to push subsidies for illegal immigrants, while Democrats insist they’re merely trying to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Meanwhile, key sectors of the aviation system are beginning to fail. Airport unions and aviation safety groups have warned Congress that the shutdown is delaying aircraft maintenance, inspections, and safety certifications — all while TSA and FAA staff work without pay or call out sick.
The last time a shutdown hit the FAA this hard was during the 2018 stalemate, when air traffic controllers sued the government over missed pay and hundreds of TSA agents walked off the job.
This time, with fewer workers already in place and demand returning to pre-pandemic levels, the impact is immediate and visible.
If lawmakers don’t come to an agreement soon, Burbank may just be the first of many towers to go dark.