Air traffic delays due to insufficient staffing

[parentologist]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/25/us/ai...faa/index.html

Apparently, air traffic controllers were already working overtime due to understaffing, and now just a slight increase in sick leave has left them incapable of handling the volume of air traffic.

It doesn't sound as if this is a coordinated sick out (although who could blame them, what with not having been paid in a month). There is a very high level of viral illness in the country currently, and I bet that this is from controllers who have a virus, who beforehand might have just gone to work sick, deciding that it's just not worth it, and taking a sick day. I'm sure that they're also struggling with that choice, because they know that if they call in sick, it just puts even more stress on their already overworked colleagues.

So flights are backing up in the mid-Atlantic area, and this will of course have ripple effects all across the country. This is the quickest way to put pressure on our government to end the shutdown - if the planes cannot fly.

[D. Scott]

It was a matter of time before things reached this level. With most workers in the country living paycheck to paycheck they either are taking other gigs, or figuring there is no point to working as rent, food and other necessary expenses come due and they have not been paid. Getting back pay does nothing when rent is due now. The situation is crazy and unfortunately going to get worse.

March SNAP, EBT and HUD will be severely impacted too if this goes on. Things will get ugly in the streets fast once people lose access to food and housing. Nothing is more dangerous then a person with nothing to lose. Hope this mess is solved fast.

[westender]

Why isn't ATC done by a QGO (Quasi-Government Org) ? The revenues that fund all of this sector come from user fees (collected on airline tickets) that would still be generated without federal government involvement.

By privatizing (or perhaps the better term would be de-federalizing) the aviation authority, then air travel would not be subjected to the whims of Congress and future Administrations.

Less government appears to be the best answer to this particular problem.