FAA orders ground delays at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport over air traffic controller shortage

The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ground delay program at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday evening because of air traffic control staffing shortages, according to an agency advisory.

The delays, which took effect around 1:30 p.m., limited the airport’s arrival rate to 36 flights per hour and was expected to remain in place until 1 a.m. Friday.

Delays were expected to peak between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., with arriving flights averaging 74 minutes behind schedule. The maximum delay under the program was 103 minutes.

The FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center cited tower staffing limitations as the sole cause, describing the restriction as a “medium pop-up” event.

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