A United Airlines flight from Chicago landed safely at LaGuardia Airport Friday evening, but its arrival was marred by a close call with another plane left stationary on the taxiway. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft struck the tail of another 737-800, which was parked on the ground, as it attempted to turn into its gate.
The incident has added fuel to the fire at LaGuardia Airport, where staffing shortages have been a major issue in recent weeks. While no one was injured among the 166 passengers and eight crew members aboard the arriving flight or the 162 passengers and seven crew on the other plane, which was heading to Houston, it serves as another reminder of the risks involved in navigating the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that nearly 80% of air traffic controllers were absent at New York-area facilities due to a nationwide staffing shortage linked to the ongoing government shutdown. This has resulted in delays and safety precautions being implemented to slow down plane traffic.
In a bid to mitigate the impact on passengers, United Airlines stated that it was working diligently to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, United CEO Scott Kirby is urging lawmakers to come together and pass a clean congressional funding mechanism – known as a continuing resolution (CR) – to reopen the government.
The incident highlights the delicate balance between safety and efficiency in air travel, particularly during times of staffing shortages. With multiple factors at play, it remains to be seen how United will manage the impact on its operations and what measures will be taken to address the ongoing crisis.
The incident has added fuel to the fire at LaGuardia Airport, where staffing shortages have been a major issue in recent weeks. While no one was injured among the 166 passengers and eight crew members aboard the arriving flight or the 162 passengers and seven crew on the other plane, which was heading to Houston, it serves as another reminder of the risks involved in navigating the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that nearly 80% of air traffic controllers were absent at New York-area facilities due to a nationwide staffing shortage linked to the ongoing government shutdown. This has resulted in delays and safety precautions being implemented to slow down plane traffic.
In a bid to mitigate the impact on passengers, United Airlines stated that it was working diligently to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, United CEO Scott Kirby is urging lawmakers to come together and pass a clean congressional funding mechanism – known as a continuing resolution (CR) – to reopen the government.
The incident highlights the delicate balance between safety and efficiency in air travel, particularly during times of staffing shortages. With multiple factors at play, it remains to be seen how United will manage the impact on its operations and what measures will be taken to address the ongoing crisis.
? And what's up with the FAA having like 80% of air traffic controllers MIA? It's not exactly rocket science... 
I mean, I know politicians are busy, but can't they just pass a bill or something?! United CEO is totally right to be on it, btw. I'm all for them pushing for a solution 
. Maybe the answer is more training programs or something? The question is, will they actually do something about it before the next "incident" happens?! 
It's not like it's rocket science, but apparently, it is when you've got staffing shortages causing delays and whatnot... *facepalm*
I'm just glad no one was seriously hurt, but honestly, can't we get our airports together? It's like they're trying to make flying as stressful as possible 
like what if someone got hurt?! theyre literally trying to get these planes in and out so fast but something has to give. have u heard about la guardia airport lately? its been a nightmare 
I mean, can you imagine being an air traffic controller trying to keep everyone safe with only 20% of your team? It's like trying to juggle too many balls at once 
. The staffing shortage is a huge issue here and it's crazy how it affects the safety of our flights. But at the same time, we gotta think about efficiency too - planes can't just sit idle all day 
. I guess what this whole thing teaches us is that sometimes you have to make tough choices between two important things (safety vs efficiency) and find a balance that works for everyone 
. And yeah, it's time for our leaders to step up and solve this problem - we need a team effort here, not just one person calling the shots 
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. And then you have an incident like this where two planes almost collided... it's a miracle no one was hurt! 
It's not like we don't have enough on our plates dealing with the pandemic and climate change... can't we just focus on fixing this stuff? 
It's not like planes can just magically stop in mid-air or anything. And good luck to those air traffic controllers trying to keep everything under control... said no one ever 
Like, one minute you're just chillin' on the plane, next thing you know there's a huge crash waiting for you... taxiway, yeah right! 
Like, priorities people! Safety should always be the number one thing.
. Now it's like they're just playing chicken with the country's finances 
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. I mean, 80% of air traffic controllers being absent? That's crazy! What about all the passengers who are going to be delayed because of this? 
. And can we please just pass that CR already?! 
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... but like, shouldn't they have some kind of system in place to prevent this from happening? 
80% of air traffic controllers MIA and now they're slowing down planes... what's the plan, united? 
It's a no-win situation. And can you blame them for wanting some stability in their lives after months of uncertainty? 
I don't think so... unless... if they're just getting paid peanuts and have to deal with all the stress, then maybe it's different