On Thursday, a Delta Air Lines service from Paris, when landing in Boston, had a close call with a Cape Air aircraft taking off from an intersecting runway, which resulted in Delta having to perform a go-around. While this incident has resulted in the FAA launching an investigation, the data, along with statements made by the FAA, indicate that both aircraft involved had the relevant clearances for taking off and landing.
While the cause behind this incident can only be confirmed after the investigation is completed, this might prove to be a wake-up call to the current staffing shortage at control towers at airports across the US.
Delta’s Eventful Service From Paris
Flight DL-263 is a 
Delta Air Lines service between 
Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) and 
New York JFK Airport (JFK). CBS News reports that on Thursday, November 30, the flight in question, upon reaching New York, had to divert due to weather conditions at JFK, which resulted in the aircraft flying to 
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), where the Airbus A330-900 was instructed by the ATC to perform a go around due to loss of safe separation, with a Cape Air flight taking off simultaneously from an intercepting runway.
The Cape Air aircraft involved in this close call was a Cessna 402C aircraft, which was departing BOS at the time, on its way to Bar Harbor Airport (BHB). As per an aviation expert’s statement reported by WVCB, the two aircraft had come as close as half a mile to each other before Delta was instructed to perform the go-around. Flight data from FlightRadar24 indicates that the Delta aircraft’s barometric altitude was as low as 150 feet when the aircraft initiated a go-around.
The FAA is now investigating this incident. A statement by the FAA, reported by CBS, states,
“Air Traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines flight 263 to perform a go-around at Boston Logan International Airport because Cape Air Flight 548 was cleared to takeoff from an intersecting runway.”
Further Details Of The Incident
It is first worth noting that Boston Logan Airport has a total of six runways with varying orientations, which results in some runways intersecting each other, thereby necessitating more accurate traffic tracking and clearance delivery (than usual) for the Air Traffic Controllers. During the incident, the Delta flight was cleared to land on runway 04R, while the Cape Air flight was cleared to take off from runway 15R.
Because of the layout of the airport, the two runways in this case intersect each other. This fact alone would mean it would be inadvisable to utilize both runways simultaneously in most cases. Reports from View From The Wing indicate that Cape Air was provided with a take-off clearance first, and then Delta received its landing clearance, but the former had not cleared the runway by the time Delta was on short final.
It is also reported that the Cape Air aircraft had not commenced its take-off roll until 20 to 30 seconds after the clearance had been issued, with no indication from the controller either, requiring the aircraft to perform its take-off without delay.
Control Towers Are Short-Staffed
For years now, data has indicated that control tower facilities in airports across the US are significantly understaffed, with data from 2023 showing 77% of the facilities were staffed at levels below the FAA’s recommended levels, this has only grown to 91% as per data released this year. This, paired with a further reduction in staffing due to the ongoing government shutdown, has had airlines call for a quick resolution to prevent operational disruptions and ensure safe operations.
Understaffing at the control tower not only results in reduced traffic flow due to fewer people having to handle a large number of movements both in the sky and on the ground, which subsequently results in delays and sometimes even cancellations, but it can also overwhelm the controllers working, which subsequently raises safety issues due to human factors.
The airlines recognize this and have been actively calling for a nationwide resolution, with some Airline CEOs even meeting the US Vice President and Secretary of Transportation earlier in the week at the White House.
