Orlando International Airport (MCO) is currently experiencing significant delays due to a lack of staffing of air traffic controllers amid the government shutdown. An advisory posted by the FAA says that all inbound flights won’t be allowed to land later tonight due to no certified Air Traffic Controllers in place at MCO. Here’s the latest.
Air Traffic Controller Staffing Issues at MCO
An advisory posted by the FAA says that departures to Orlando International Airport are delayed an average of more than 2 hours, with at least one arrival delayed 12 hours. Delays into MCO impact all arrivals, including international flights.
Orlando International Airport joins a number of airports around the country that are experiencing delays due to staffing issues, according to the FAA. The staffing issues come as a government shutdown nears the 30-day mark.
A statement posted by MCO at the start of the government shutdown said that “the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority does not anticipate that operations at MCO will be affected”, and it said that MCO had “contingency plans should there be a dramatic decrease in the number of TSA agents processing passengers”. The statement did not address contingency plans for a lack of Air Traffic Controllers specifically, but MCO did say that they were in conversations with the FAA.
An advisory issued by the FAA expects the delays to continue into early Friday morning.
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