I certainly don't mean this as a defense of Trump and Duffy, but we should always have a large surplus of air traffic controllers, because they are kind if important, and a lot of decisions over many years made the system as brittle as it is.
The Federal Aviation Administration said flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted Sunday morning due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility.
"But, Atrios, this sounds like you are defending Trump and Duffy!" No I am saying there were shortages before they arrived - and there never should have been - though they have made fixing that almost impossible.