According to Sean Duffy, a former Secretary of Transportation under the Trump administration, U.S. air traffic control is experiencing unprecedented stress. This is happening as air traffic controllers are about to miss their first paychecks since the beginning of the government shutdown.
In an exclusive chat with Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy mentioned, “I’ll find out on Tuesday about my paycheck, and it’s going to be a significant cut. I won’t get paid, so I’m out here talking to the air traffic controllers, and it’s clear that the stress is mounting.” He added that there were 22 staffing triggers reported recently, one of the highest figures during the shutdown, indicating that controllers are quite worn out.
The shutdown has reached a historic 26 days, making it the longest shutdown ever recorded, yet Congress seems stalled with no visible resolution in sight. If the fiscal year wraps up on September 30 without passing any of the 12 single-subject spending bills, the government will face a full shutdown. The House and Senate have managed to approve three bills each, but neither side has reconciled them yet.
This ongoing situation means many agencies and programs rely on annual appropriations are either suspended or severely restricted in their operations.
Duffy stated that the Air Traffic Control and Transportation Security Administration workers are increasingly calling in sick as their pay remains halted. “A lot of them live paycheck to paycheck, or maybe one partner at home isn’t bringing in income,” he explained. “They’re anxious about gas prices, childcare, mortgages—it’s a lot of stress for them.”
Many controllers are even taking on second jobs, exploring options like driving for Uber to make ends meet until the governmental stalemate ends. Duffy also assured that safety would not be compromised, stating he would slow down or stop traffic if they did not have enough controllers available.
He emphasized, “It’s my responsibility to maintain safe airspace. If I feel we don’t have enough controllers on hand, I won’t hesitate to reduce traffic.” He further remarked that while “President Trump cares about the American people,” the shutdown is causing real distress, particularly mentioning issues related to SNAP and Obamacare subsidies—a situation that concerns many Americans.
Recently, Senate Minority Leader John Thune attempted to foster cooperation by suggesting a vote on aid that would last until the government reopens. However, Senate Democrats have not embraced this idea, citing trust issues with Republicans.
