Beyond lack of masks and coronavirus tests, FAA says it's short on cleaning supplies

"We are restocking cleaning supplies at air traffic facilities where they are running low," the FAA said in a statement Saturday. "As an interim measure, the agency has authorized managers to purchase cleaning products at local stores if needed to sanitize workspaces. We are not requiring employees to bring supplies from home, although some employees are doing so voluntarily."

The acknowledgment comes as an aviation system already hit by plummeting demand has faced several added disruptions, including major flight restrictions affecting airports around the country Saturday after an air traffic controller trainee tested positive for covid-19 in New York. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., pressed the agency on the availability of cleaning supplies for FAA employees last week.

The trainee was working in the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Long Island, which handles a broad swath of U.S. airspace and many cross-country and high-altitude flights, according to the FAA.

Even as the FAA said in a statement that it may have to close "sectors of airspace during the sanitization process," the FAA issued "ground stops" Saturday for John F. Kennedy International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, among others.

That meant flights headed for those airports were not permitted to take off from their original airports. And if they had already taken off, they could be held in the air or diverted to other places depending on how long the restrictions were in place.

The restrictions were quickly lifted on Philadelphia and some other locations but stayed in effect longer at JFK. Planes headed there from Florida, Texas, Georgia and the District of Columbia region were all blocked by the JFK ground stop Saturday afternoon, but the limits were later removed, according to an FAA notice.

Positive tests by employees in air traffic control towers at Chicago's Midway airport, in Las Vegas and elsewhere have also prompted closures for cleaning in recent days.

FAA administrator Steve Dickson is under self-quarantine after having a "brief interaction" with Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., who has tested positive, before a House hearing earlier this month.

Wexton wrote the FAA on Thursday, raising concerns from employees about sanitation and the need for additional teleworking.

"We received word that 'no action is required until a case is confirmed positive by a medical authority' and that the extent of action taken so far has been to advise facilities to make local purchases of cleaning supplies while the FAA takes steps to find other sources of cleaning products and establish enhanced cleaning protocols," Wexton wrote.

Wexton said in a statement that it is "absolutely unacceptable that the FAA has not implemented critical measures to safeguard the health of its workforce," and that the "well-being of our air traffic controllers is vital to preserving not only the safety of our airspace but also our national security."

The FAA said Saturday that it is "encouraging all eligible employees to telework to the maximum extent possible" and has limited outsiders from FAA facilities to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Still, it added, "many employees perform critical functions that cannot be handled remotely." In such cases, "we are employing social distancing measures and increasing the cleaning of workspaces to reduce risk of exposure," the agency said. Contingency plans are in place to make sure oversight of airlines and aviation safety do not suffer, it said.

"In extreme cases, service levels could vary, but safety will not be compromised," the agency said.

In responses it provided to Wexton, the FAA said its Air Traffic Organization "is asking our facilities to make local purchases for cleaners, wipes, and hand sanitizer where possible" and the agency is "supplementing supplies from our Logistics Center as best we can."

"Cleaning materials that meet the criteria are in short supply across the marketplace, and we may face further challenges maintaining adequate quantities," the agency said. The FAA said it is searching for vendors to make and deliver cleaning products to the agency to support the work of air traffic controllers.

"We also continue to reach out to FEMA and DOD to see if they can help augment our supplies," the FAA said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense.

In an added statement Saturday, the FAA said, "with the exception of a couple of isolated cases, we have adequate supplies nationally." It said "restocking to ensure the health and safety of our workforce is a priority."

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The Washington Post's Ian Duncan contributed to this report.