Nashville's air traffic control tower back to 'normal' understaffing levels, airport says

Delta Flight 2465 was one of 263 planes delayed in and out of Nashville International Airport on Oct. 7, impacting 39,450 passengers, according to data from BNA.

Kentucky resident Brian McClure's plane circled over Nashville waiting for clearance to land until it threatened to run out of gas.

"The pilot said the FAA had cut the airport down to one runway, so that's why we were circling, and it was taking so long," McClure said.

Nashville International Airport's air traffic control tower returned to "normal staffing levels" by 6:40 a.m. on Oct. 8, according to airport officials.

While BNA leadership said there are "no immediate staffing concerns," the latest data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows that the tower is understaffed by 11 certified controllers. At 1:25 p.m. Oct. 7, the FAA informed the Nashville airport that it would be reducing the number of flights in and out of Nashville airport until further notice due to staffing shortages.

There were 263 planes delayed in and out of BNA on Oct. 7, impacting a total of 39,450 passengers, according to Nashville airport data.

McClure was flying into Nashville from Atlanta when news of the reduced flights hit the skies. Ultimately, the plane he was on rerouted to Chattanooga and eventually landed in Nashville about an hour behind schedule.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Duffy wrote on social media that air traffic controllers across the country had stopped showing up to work since the federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1, despite the fact that they are among the "essential" group required to continue working without pay.

This temporary loss of workers exacerbated the ongoing shortage of certified air traffic controllers in the U.S. and led to ground delays and flight cuts like what BNA experienced on Oct. 7.

"The FAA attributes the 'staffing shortages,' as reported by the media, to 'unexpected call outs,'" MNAA said.

Should unexpected call outs continue or the existing understaffing issue worsen, the FAA could implement another ground delay or flight cuts again.

Nashville airport flight delays by the numbers

Nashville airport leadership reported that no flights were cancelled as a result of air traffic controller shortages on Oct. 7. MNAA was intially unclear on if the FAA "reducing flights" at BNA would lead to delays or cancellations.

Out of 339 commercial aircrafts leaving BNA, 229 of them were on time, while 110 were delayed. Of the 339 arriving flights, 186 were on time and 153 were delayed.

While Nashville's air traffic control center remained open on Oct. 7, its Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) closed for several hours. The TRACON facility in Memphis temporarily oversaw Nashville operations.

Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at [email protected]. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.