BNA delays highlight urgent air traffic controller shortage

This op-ed originally appeared in The Tennessean.

Travelers passing through Nashville International Airport are starting to factor in delays into their itineraries.

This time, it’s not booming tourism or packed concert weekends driving the disruptions. The facility is operating with a skeleton crew of air traffic controllers, forcing the federal government to slow or halt incoming traffic.

As the summer travel season ramps up, those headaches could spiral into a passenger’s worst nightmare. More than half of the busiest days for U.S. aviation fall between June and August, meaning Nashville’s terminal will be busier than ever before. If Washington doesn’t act quickly, travelers will continue paying the price.

According to estimates, Nashville’s air traffic control tower is operating below federally recommended staffing levels. Fewer controllers are managing flights at the facility today than 20 years ago. Coupled with rapid growth over the last decade that has more than doubled the number of passengers moving through its security lines, the airport’s aviation workforce is being stretched precariously thin.

In recent months, Tennessee’s flagship airport has experienced repeated government-mandated ground stops and delays, directly tied to staffing shortages. In May, two disruptions occurred only weeks apart. Three additional ground freezes were issued the month before that – sometimes on consecutive days.

With Nashville handling an average of 68,000 travelers daily, these stoppages can quickly snowball. Passengers – regardless of destination or airline – are forced to miss connections or waste hours sitting in the terminal or on the tarmac.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recognized these issues and deserves credit for trying to reverse course. The agency recently rolled out a new pilot program to better standardize training and strengthen the controller pipeline.

It’s also modernizing scheduling and deploying data-driven tools to better match controller availability with periods of high traffic demand. Thanks to efforts like these, the FAA met its air traffic controller hiring requirements for Fiscal Year 2025 – and it’s already on pace to exceed its goals for this year.

But that hasn’t stopped Congress from shooting the FAA’s progress in the foot. Last year’s government shutdown delivered a major setback to America’s controller workforce, with 500 trainees dropping out of the profession entirely. These recruits are critical to helping close staffing gaps at airports across the country.

Congress cannot afford to treat these critical aviation personnel as collateral damage during broader budget battles. Fortunately, bipartisan proposals exist to shield air traffic controllers, TSA officers and frontline aviation workers from shutdown-related pay disruptions.

The issue of pay during government shutdowns is already on lawmakers’ minds, following the Senate’s recent vote to freeze their own paychecks during funding lapses. They should carry that same sense of urgency over to the aviation workers Americans rely on every day.

Beyond pay, controllers also need modern equipment capable of meeting the demands of a 21st-century aviation system. To solve this, Congress should unlock the $10 billion needed for the next phase of air traffic control modernization. Replacing decades-old equipment like paper strips and floppy disks would allow our already-slim aviation workforce to operate more efficiently – reducing the risk of technology-related failures.

Americans deserve to travel through the Music City this summer without added headaches. The Trump administration has taken important steps; now Congress must do its part. A modernized, fully staffed air traffic control system would mean fewer disruptions, more efficient skies and a smoother travel experience for passengers nationwide.    

Jackson Shedelbower is the executive director of the Center for Transportation Policy.