President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to “substantially” dock pay for air traffic controllers (ATCs) who do not show up to work during the federal government shutdown.
In a Truth Social post, Trump also said that ATCs who resign will receive “no payment or severance of any kind” and be “quickly replaced.” Controllers who have not taken time off, the president said, will be recommended for $10,000 bonuses.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” Trump wrote. “You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”
During a shutdown, most federal workers are furloughed. But those considered essential, including about 13,000 ATCs, must continue working without pay. Last month, they received their first $0 paystub since the shutdown began.
Though they are prohibited from partaking in organized work actions such as sickouts, ATCs are often cited as a pivotal factor in bringing the 2018-19 government shutdown to an end. Disruptions at several key airports caused by staffing shortages created pressure that reportedly prompted Congress to return to the negotiating table. Hours later, a deal was reached.
A similar scenario could play out this time around, with the FAA last week ordering a 10 percent reduction in operations at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. But Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), reiterated during a press conference Monday that there are “no organized actions going on.”
“The vast majority of these highly trained and skilled professionals continue to perform one of the most stressful and demanding jobs in the world, despite not being compensated,” NATCA said in a statement shared with FLYING. “These unsung heroes, who report for duty to safely guide this country’s passengers and cargo to their destinations, deserve our praise. They have certainly earned it.”
ATC in the Hot Seat
According to Daniels, it took about two months for ATCs to be fully compensated after the previous government shutdown. The lack of pay, he said, creates “added stress, frustration, pressures where air traffic controllers cannot be 100 percent focused on their job.”
“Whatever it takes to open this government and pay our members is what’s needed right now, and we’ll have to continue dealing with the fallout of this added stress and pressure that this has caused,” Daniels said.
The NATCA president in October said many ATCs are driving for Uber or DoorDash due to financial strain. On Monday, he said some are struggling to pay for gas or childcare.
“We use the term ‘call in sick’ so loosely with the federal workforce, the excepted employees that have to show up,” Daniels said. “They’re facing real issues.”
Exacerbating those issues is a shortage of about 3,800 controllers. Daniels said that 91 percent of ATC facilities are not properly staffed. As a result, more than 40 percent require personnel to work 10 hours a day, six days a week.
Appearing on CNN on Sunday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA is seeing 15 to 20 ATC retirements per day, compared to about four per day before the shutdown. Duffy also said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered the FAA additional personnel in the form of military controllers.
Many ATCs are taking leave, and the impacts are being felt by airlines and travelers, too. Per Airlines for America (A4A), on Saturday, staffing shortages accounted for 71 percent of delay minutes in the national airspace system. Typically, they account for only 5 percent. The trade group said 4 million passengers on its member airlines have suffered disruptions, with the vast majority coming in the past week.
On Sunday, there were more than 11,000 delays and nearly 3,000 cancellations into and out of the U.S., per FlightAware. As of Monday afternoon, the FAA’s operations plan lists 15 ATC facilities with staffing triggers, with ground delays in Boston, Orlando, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Toronto.
Those disruptions could continue as airlines restrict more flights. The FAA’s order phases in the restrictions—a 4 percent reduction took effect on Friday and will rise to 6 percent by Tuesday, 8 percent by Thursday, and 10 percent by Friday. Another directive prohibits general aviation and nonscheduled traffic at 12 airports, with exceptions for based aircraft and emergency, medical, law enforcement, and military operations.
As a result, American Airlines said it cancelled 200 flights on Tuesday. Southwest Airlines said it removed 140 and 155 flights from its schedule on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Delta Air Lines said it cancelled hundreds of trips over the weekend. In addition to United Airlines, all three are offering travel waivers or refunds to impacted customers.
“The staffing crisis has triggered broad secondary impacts—including late aircraft arrivals, crew legality issues, and equipment mispositioning—all of which prolong recovery, which will become worse as the directive phases up to 10 percent flight reductions,” A4A said. “Unlike weather-driven disruptions that airlines prepare for and recover from, each controller shift change or facility staffing trigger adds hours of delay with no advance notice, undermining the airlines’ ability to plan, staff or protect customers.”
Trump’s post on Monday could alleviate some of that uncertainty, prompting more controllers to show up out of fear of not being compensated. Daniels, though, emphasized that taking leave is not unusual.
“Before the shutdown, air traffic controllers got sick,” he said. “During the shutdown, air traffic controllers get sick. After the shutdown ends, air traffic controllers will get sick.”
