Air traffic controllers are rarely seen in the public eye but are essential to air travel, and they worked for weeks without pay during the shutdown.
DENVER – They sit in dark facilities and high towers, surrounded by dilapidated computers and speak in clipped, cryptic phrases. And the pieces of paper they pass to each other represent the lives of millions of Americans who travel safely every day with their help.
For air traffic controllers across the country, the ongoing federal government shutdown is the latest insult to a high-stress, high-stakes job that requires them to retire at age 56, severely restrict cell phone access during work hours, get just 10 hours of vacation between shifts, and undergo multiple unannounced alcohol and drug tests a year.
Before the shutdown, the country’s air traffic control system had just under 11,000 fully certified controllers, 30% fewer than the government needed. This means air traffic controllers are already required to work overtime six days a week, up to 10 hours a day, and vacation time is severely limited.
Now they don’t even get paid.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers union, said in a statement: “This situation is a significant distraction for individuals who already work in an extremely stressful job.” “The economic and emotional strain increases risk within the national airspace system, making it less safe with each continued closure.”
President Trump tells air traffic controller who took leave: ‘I’m not happy with you’
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Nov. 6 ordered airlines to reduce traffic by 10% at the nation’s 40 busiest airports, saying this would ease pressure on air traffic controllers during the closure. The order inconvenienced millions of travelers as flights were reduced or rescheduled weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Congress now appears ready to reopen the government and restore salaries (including advances) to air traffic controllers. Some of the air traffic controllers were working part-time jobs during the closure. The median salary for air traffic controllers is $144,580 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
President Donald Trump said in a Nov. 10 social media post that he is recommending a $10,000 bonus for air traffic controllers who survive the shutdown without taking sick leave.
But he also threatened air traffic controllers who became ill or went on vacation after Oct. 1. Since the shutdown began, multiple airports have been forced to limit arrivals and departures due to a lack of air traffic controllers.
FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said in early November that between 20% and 40% of air traffic controllers were not at work on any given day, Reuters reported.
Air traffic controllers who take sick leave during the shutdown can be compensated, but air traffic controllers are also allowed to take sick leave for sickness or fatigue.
Federal law prohibits air traffic controller strikes. President Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers in 1981 when he laid them off amid a dispute over pay and working conditions. Historians say President Reagan’s decision to fire air traffic controllers sparked a wave of union busting across the country.
“To those of you who complained and took time off when we all knew you would be paid your full salary in the near future, I’m not happy with you,” Trump wrote.
Air traffic controllers at the center of government shutdown
Former air traffic controller David Riley said putting air traffic controllers in the middle of the government shutdown reflects the important role they play in the American economy.
From passenger travel to cargo flights, U.S. commercial aviation accounts for about 5% of the country’s annual gross domestic product and supports about 10 million jobs, according to the Airlines for America trade group.
“They used (air traffic control slowdowns) as a weapon against the flying public,” said Riley, a former U.S. Marine who worked in air traffic control for 32 years.
Reilly said all promises of pay ring hollow for air traffic controllers who regularly work just one day off a week in a job where even a moment’s lack of attention can be fatal for hundreds.
Becoming a certified air traffic controller requires years of training, typically starting at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, followed by several years of closely supervised on-the-job training.
Applicants must meet vision and health standards, undergo a mental health evaluation, and undertake high-stakes, high-stress work physically isolated from the travelers they serve every day. They must be prepared to respond to midair fires, hijack reports, or medical emergencies at 36,000 feet or just a few feet from the terminal.
And there is no margin for error.
“You make money in the short term, but working six days a week literally kills your life,” Riley said. “This closure has highlighted how poor staffing is and how close to breaking point it is.”
“I still believe Americans should fly safely.”
Air traffic controllers typically work in towers that control the movement of planes landing at or taking off from airports, or in regional centers known as “tracon”s that guide planes between airports.
Surrounded by radar screens and GPS displays, air traffic controllers keep planes at a safe distance for takeoff and landing, keep engines from colliding with each other on the ground, and help avoid turbulence in the air.
Reilly, who worked in both the control and observation towers, said being without pay, like during the first Trump shutdown, increases the mental strain on air traffic controllers as they are distracted by thoughts of bills and unpaid mortgages. Air traffic controllers have already received two zero-dollar paychecks during the shutdown.
“How much do you have in savings? Does your spouse work?” he said controllers ask themselves.
Zachary S. Gorwitz, an attorney with the Florida-based Podhurst Orsek law firm, said there continues to be a shortage of air traffic controllers, increasing the risk to the traveling public. The firm represents victims of multiple fatal crashes around the world, and is currently representing a client in a lawsuit over the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between American Airlines and a Black Hawk military helicopter in Washington, D.C.
In the crash that killed 67 people, Congressional testimony revealed that one air traffic controller was monitoring both the plane and the helicopter that night, a job typically performed by two people, Gowitz said. He said that while air travel remained one of the safest forms of transportation, it was largely due to the hard work of highly skilled and trained air traffic controllers, that continuing to stress them would inevitably have an impact.
“I still believe Americans should fly safely, but it’s critically important that our government reopens and begins treating federal employees with the respect they deserve,” Gorwitz said. “The problem is, we need to put these people in positions to succeed, and with the way things are going, that’s just not the case.”
Cat and TJ Leahy, who were waiting for their snowboards at Denver International Airport to leave for a week-long ski trip, said their trip from Tampa had gone well, but they were concerned about the mental health of the air traffic controllers.
As a veteran, TJ said he is used to the idea that those who serve others take their responsibilities seriously.
He said he had no safety concerns about flying during the government shutdown, but said he was concerned about the long-term effects of forcing people to travel without pay, both for air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents who conduct security checks.
“I’m more worried about them as humans,” he said. “They’re real professionals and they’re going to do their job, but I’m worried they won’t get paid. So is TSA.”
Trevor Hughes covers national news for USA TODAY.
