WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown hits the one month mark, ground stops, travel delays and flight cancellations have become more common as staffing shortages caused by the shutdown increase at airports.
Air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, have been working without pay since the shutdown began four weeks ago, with some having to take on other jobs to support themselves and their families.
In a White House statement about the government shutdown’s impact on America’s air traffic control system, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said of air traffic controllers: “They’re angry… They’re frustrated that the Congress – at least in the Senate – is focused on paying for health care benefits for illegals as opposed to paying their paychecks for the great work that they provide to the American people.”
Democrats have refused to approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) until Republicans reinstate federal subsidies for health care premiums for the 24 million Americans on Affordable Care Act insurance plans.
Throughout the shutdown, air traffic has been a major topic of discussion, as many believe that travel disruptions caused by federal employees like air traffic controllers and TSA agents calling in sick, played a major role in forcing the end of the 2019 government shutdown..
For many federal workers, things have already reached an intolerable and unsustainable point. A host of airline unions and associations who have called for the shutdown to end, including Airlines for America (A4A), the trade association for major U.S. airlines including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.
“Missed paychecks for the federal employees charged with the safe and efficient facilitation of our national airspace unnecessarily increases stress for the thousands of air traffic controllers, TSA officers and CBP employees who work every day to keep aviation safe and secure,” said A4A in a statement.
A4A continued by urging elected leaders to “act with an appropriate sense of urgency to solve this problem and immediately reopen the federal government,” and pass a clean CR.
This sentiment has been echoed by many others in the aviation industry. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) published a press release on Thursday stating: “It’s time for Congress to reconvene in a bipartisan manner to pass a clean CR and support all the men and women in aviation who contribute to the safest National Airspace System for us all to travel.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) also leafleted nearly 20 airports across the country this Tuesday in an effort to educate travelers about the impact of the shutdown as air traffic controllers received their first zero-dollar paycheck.
This Thursday, Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy held a roundtable with airline industry leaders, including the CEOs of United Airlines and American Airlines to discuss the negative effects of the shutdown as well as next steps for the industry. Duffy said he was working to recruit new air traffic controllers to help resolve staffing issues.
In the meantime, many federal aviation workers continue to struggle to stay afloat.
“Air traffic controllers don’t start or stop government shutdowns – politicians do. Yet right now, the people who keep our skies safe and our nation moving are doing their job without a paycheck,” said NATCA President Nick Daniels. “Many are already working six days a week, and now they are facing the impossible choice of taking on extra jobs just to feed their families. Meanwhile, Congress is leading us towards what could be the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, and introducing risk into an already fragile system.”
