Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 6.5
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Human Factors; Procedure; Manuals; Company Policy; Airspace Structure
While working as CIC (Controller in Charge) I observed Local Control was having a hard time getting departures out; with aircraft waiting for 5-15 minutes. Part of this was due to the closure of a taxiway resulting in an aircraft having to back taxi for a full length departure. Another complicating factor was the adjacent airport Tower was only granting extensions of their airspace for us to use on the South side. The communication line to that Tower was also out of service. The uneven extensions were causing aircraft in the North Pattern to have to turn tightly behind traffic to remain inside our Class Delta; which left final spacing very compressed and no chance for a departure to get out. I called the other Tower via the recorded dial line at approximately to ask for north side extensions due to operational need to get departures out; whom were experience a lengthy delay. The Controller replied negative. I asked if there was anything operational going on that we could observe traffic on as we had aircraft who were experience delays and they said there wasn't anything going on; but they couldn't approve the request because the shout line was out of service and they couldn't coordinate any changes or traffic with us in a timely manner. I would note the phone call; while more work dialing; was not a significant impediment time wise to getting a hold of another facility. Aircraft were getting delayed on the ground when the requested airspace that could have allowed for a departure was denied and not being used.As mentioned in multiple previous reports; there needs to be an effort made to redesign the airspace between the two airports. With intelligent planning and design; it should be easy to give us some more airspace to work our pattern while still protecting for their operations. With a redesigned Class Delta and update to the Letter of Agreement between facilities; it should be possible for both facilities to work their traffic inside the redesigned airspace safely and more efficiently than is currently happening.
PAO Tower Controller in Charge reported the adjacent Tower facility would not delegate needed airspace to them so aircraft experienced departure delays.