Duffy: Next ATC Paycheck Will Be ‘Big Fat Zero’

Transportation Secretary urges air traffic controllers to continue showing up for work and blames Democrats for prolonging the government shutdown.

Jack Daleo

Friday, October 24, 2025 at 04:07 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy delivers remarks at Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL) on Friday. [Courtesy: USDOT live stream]

Key Takeaways:

Over 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay during the government shutdown, causing severe financial stress, forcing some into second jobs, and leading to an increase in sick calls.
This situation, combined with existing understaffing, raises significant concerns for air travel safety and has caused operational delays to surge from a typical 5% to as high as 53%.
The shutdown is jeopardizing the FAA's efforts to train new air traffic controllers as academy students face a lack of funding, and it is halting a $31.5 billion ATC modernization plan due to thousands of furloughed critical safety and engineering personnel.

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If the U.S. government remains shut down through Tuesday, more than 13,000 air traffic controllers (ATCs) will receive a “big fat zero” on their next paycheck, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday.

Addressing the shutdown in remarks at Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Duffy said controllers received a partial paycheck earlier this month and have been notified that their next could be $0.