Could air controllers bring about end to US government shutdown?

The ongoing US government shutdown is taking an increasing toll on air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay. Severe staffing shortages have caused major flight delays in recent weeks, particularly leading up to the Halloween weekend, sparking fears of even greater travel disruptions as the shutdown — now the longest in US history — drags on.

Under US law, “excepted employees,” including those in the military, law enforcement, and air traffic control, must continue working without pay until the shutdown ends. However, morale among those responsible for managing the nation’s air traffic has dropped to historic lows, further worsening staffing challenges, according to an NPR report.

The outlet interviewed several air traffic controllers, all of whom described rising numbers of colleagues calling in sick because they need to “go earn money elsewhere.”

“I think you’re also seeing people who are just calling in sick because they’re fed up and they’re like, ‘well, I’m going to spend the holiday weekend with my kids for once,’” one worker said, highlighting the growing frustration.

Some controllers said they have taken out short-term loans from credit unions to cover expenses, while others have resorted to part-time jobs.

“I work with people who are working a second job at night and are just calling in sick in the morning when they can’t go to the job that doesn’t pay them, because they’re too tired,” said one controller who manages take-offs and landings at a major US airport.

Controllers told NPR that morale was already low before the shutdown due to chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime, and stagnant pay — problems that have now been compounded by missed paychecks.

The longer the shutdown lasts, the more difficult the situation becomes.

“I think we’re reaching a tipping point,” said a controller who handles high-altitude traffic in the Midwest. “This is kind of about the point in the last shutdown where people just started getting fed up with it.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy maintains that the US air travel system remains safe, but acknowledged that the FAA will have to limit or reroute flights to preserve safety standards.

“We will restrict the airspace when we feel it’s not safe,” Duffy said last week, “if we don’t have enough controllers to effectively and safely manage our skies.”

He warned, however, that such restrictions may become unavoidable soon.

“You will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers,” Duffy said.

Air controllers’ leverage during last shutdown

The article recalls that during the 2018–2019 shutdown, major disruptions occurred when a small number of air traffic controllers at key facilities called in sick — an action widely believed to have pressured the government to end the standoff that same day.

While several controllers said the FAA is now better at managing shortages, one noted that “more colleagues have called out sick during this shutdown than during the previous one,” though so far, the impact on travel has remained localized.

Still, many worry that safety is at risk.

“It does degrade that margin of safety if a bunch of people are sick and not at work and I’m having to do their jobs along with my own,” said one controller.

Another, who oversees arriving and departing traffic at a major New York City-area airport, said they were the only certified controller on duty during a recent night shift.

“It was on a bad weather day where there was a ton of confusion and coordinations necessary. Trainees who were around tried to be as helpful as they could,” the controller said, but “it was a terrible situation to be stuck in.”

Legally, air traffic controllers cannot strike or coordinate absences — a point union leaders have repeatedly emphasized.

Still, with Thanksgiving approaching — one of the busiest travel periods of the year — some fear the worst is yet to come.

“I think you’re going to see probably the worst day of travel in the history of flight,” said the Midwest-based high-altitude controller.

By Nazrin Sadigova