SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Amid long TSA wait times, heavy flight delays at San Diego International Airport on Thursday are highlighting ongoing concerns about air traffic controller staffing.
Nearly 200 flights were delayed Thursday, leaving the airport's flight board full of yellow. The Federal Aviation Administration called the situation a result of "unanticipated staffing issues." Airport officials said the delays were unrelated to the ongoing TSA funding battle and that operations are now normal.
While the FAA said in June that San Diego's towers are above staffing standards targets, a recent federal report shows the number of air traffic controllers continues to decline nationwide. The report found 77% of critical facilities are staffed below recommended levels.
Bob Katz, a commercial pilot with more than four decades of experience, weighed in on the staffing challenges.
"So, a staffing issue, if that's really the case, it's not going to get resolved in one day," Katz said. "It's a process… throughout the United States, air traffic service is understaffed. It is overworked. It is overburdened."
Controller workloads came under scrutiny following a near-collision on the runway in 2023 between a Southwest jet and a private plane. An NTSB report blamed poor judgment in duty prioritization, along with a supervisor who was distracted by fixing a printer.
"Whenever there's an incident involving air traffic control, I think this has more to do with how a controller prioritizes their duties and responsibilities," Katz said.
Beyond duties, the airport's infrastructure came under the spotlight when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy toured the airport tower in June. Duffy noted the presence of copper wires, floppy disks, broken window shades, and a leaky roof. He said he was surprised the biggest single-runway commercial airport in the country was relying on technology from the 1970s.
"They should not be using this equipment," Duffy said.
When I asked Katz if the aging technology is compromising public safety, he said the equipment is still adequate from a technology perspective.
"I believe it is," Katz said.
In June, Duffy touted billions in upgrades included in President Trump's big beautiful bill, which features communication hardware, new radios, and network connections.
According to the FAA, San Diego International Airport will receive numerous upgrades, with some arriving later this year and all completed by the end of 2028.
The improvements include:
- A new surface movement radar that feeds information to the airport’s ASDE-X surface surveillance system. ASDE-X shows controllers the locations of all aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways. The new radar will improve the system’s reliability.
- Electronic flight strips, which will replace paper flight strips. Flight strips contain an airplane’s flight plan, departure time, and destination airport. Controllers use them to manage the flow of aircraft safely and efficiently from the gate to the runway. Electronic flight strips put information about every plane on one screen.
- Upgraded radios that will improve the clarity and reliability of controller-pilot communications.
- Digital voice switches that improve controllers’ ability to switch between radios to communicate with pilots and other air traffic control facilities.
- New controller display systems that consolidate weather, important alerts called Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), and aeronautical data into a customizable interface. This improves controllers’ situational awareness and reduces the time they spend searching for critical information.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
