Oct. 26 (UPI) — Already short-staffed air traffic controllers are feeling the strains of the nearly month-long government shutdown, and will not be paid this week as the government shutdown continues.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Sunday that air traffic controllers are “wearing thin,” with 22 air traffic controller staffing triggers occurring at airports across the country on Saturday.
The triggers are an internal alert to signal when staffing levels fall below safe or acceptable limits for operations.
“They get a notice of what they’re going to be paid on Tuesday, and they got a big fat zero. No paycheck is coming on Tuesday, and so I’ve been out talking to our air traffic controllers, and you can see the stress,” Duffy told host Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” show.
Many controllers are calling out sick, missing work or taking second jobs to make ends meet as the government shutdown has stretched on for 26 days — making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
“These are people that oftentimes live paycheck to paycheck, or one controller has a stay-at-home spouse,” Duffy said. “They’re concerned about gas in the car. They’re concerned about childcare and mortgages. And so, I’m seeing the stress come for the controllers.”
Duffy was interviewed just before KABC-TV reported that the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary ground stop around 8:42 a.m. Sunday morning for flights arriving at Los Angeles International Airport because of staffing issues.
A spokesperson for the airport told the broadcaster that the ground stop order only applied to flights leaving from Oakland and that the order was lifted just after 10:30 a.m.
Staffing shortages were also behind delays at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, as well as Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers, Florida.
Duffy said that travelers should expect additional delays throughout the week.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that military personnel will start missing paychecks by Nov. 15 if the government shutdown continues.
