FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford praised the agency’s staff for its resilience this week while reminding air traffic controllers (ATCs) and other essential staff that they must keep reporting for work, even without a paycheck.
In a message to staff, Bedford expressed “sincere gratitude” to the employees of the FAA and said the American “way of life” depends on its service.
With the federal government shut down, the FAA employees still working are doing so without pay. Around 11,300 agency workers deemed nonessential have been furloughed.
Bedford also noted the slight uptick in the number of ATCs calling out of work sick.
“As [Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy has said, staffing shortages have increased across the country,” he said. “Air traffic controllers are still required to report to work and carry out their critical duties. The safety and efficiency of our airspace depend on them.”
Bedford’s message was somewhat gentler than one delivered by Duffy on Thursday. In an interview with Fox Business, the secretary said his department will fire “problem children” ATCs who repeatedly call out of work during the shutdown.
New Traffic Limits
Bedford also told staff that, to maintain safety, the agency will dial back departures and arrivals in certain regions to reduce their strain on ATC centers.
“When staffing constraints occur, we will reduce the flow of air traffic into affected airports and centers to maintain safe operations,” he said.
The tactic has already been used at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey, Orlando International Airport (KMCO) in Florida, and Nashville International Airport (KBNA) in Tennessee.
Shortages of ATCs have caused periodic delays at numerous major airports across the country, including Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Las Vegas. Hollywood Burbank Airport (KBUR) in the Los Angeles area was left without a single ATC for about six hours Monday evening, forcing ATCs in San Diego to step in and handle departures and arrivals remotely.
Dueling Democratic and Republican proposals to reopen the government failed in the U.S. Senate this week. The chamber has adjourned and is set to reconvene Tuesday, ensuring the shutdown will continue at least into early next week.
The White House has increased pressure on Congress to strike a deal by suggesting that workers furloughed during the shutdown are not automatically entitled to back pay once the government reopens.
