LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — You've likely seen the headlines showing problems at some of the biggest airports in the country this summer, each having to do with a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Nationally, there isn't enough of the people that make airports work effectively. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that it is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers, and that impact is being felt in Lexington.
In a statement, Lexington Air Traffic Control announced that they will be reducing staffing on midnight shifts between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to "provide better service during the daytime hours when traffic is the busiest."
They go on to say that the Indy Center will be providing help on overnights, but on some nights, "depending on the specifics, the tower might be closed and the field would be uncontrolled."
Governor Andy Beshear said on Friday that the layoffs made by DOGE are to blame for these issues.
"The FAA has been hit too because they have received that fork in the road email encouraging people to retire or resign that everyone else did," Beshear said.
Beshear said the decision is a big mistake by the federal government, as it takes years to train new air traffic controllers.
"They need to bring back retirees, who are willing to come back. and they need to fast track as much as they can, the hiring and training of new individuals because this is an area that has to be safe and we can never have those shortages," he said.
