the airport tweeted that the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control tower was “undergoing a required sanitization and deep clean.” Arrivals and departures were expected to be delayed because of the cleaning.
The airport then said that anyone picking up a passenger from the terminal should monitor the flight status and contact the airlines for updated information. Taking a look at the AUS flight tracker, many flights were either delayed or canceled.
According to an advisory from the FAA, COVID-19 cleaning and reduced staffing were the cause of delays Thursday afternoon. The average delay was 188 minutes with the maximum delay time 289 minutes.
The airport said shortly before 4 pm that regular air traffic control operation had not yet resumed and that the FAA is able to accept a limited number of flights at the moment. Then around 6:30 pm, AUS said that the airspace remains open and the FAA continues to accept a limited number of flights as they work to resume their normal operations.
The FAA Air Traffic Control Tower is undergoing a required sanitization & deep clean. Travelers should be aware that AUS will be experiencing delays for both arrivals and departures.
— Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) (@AUStinAirport) June 23, 2022