The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is sounding the alarm over worsening safety conditions in U.S. airspace as the ongoing government shutdown enters record territory.
Union President Nick Daniels said the crisis has pushed controllers to the breaking point and placed the flying public at greater risk, while criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats for blocking a clean continuing resolution that would reopen the government.
NATCA represents more than 10,800 certified air traffic controllers nationwide.
The union has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) with no policy riders or partisan amendments.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed such a measure a month ago, but Senate Democrats have voted against it multiple times, demanding unrelated legislative priorities be included.
Daniels, in an interview with Fox News, said controllers are being forced to endure exhausting six-day, 10-hour workweeks amid an already critical staffing shortage of approximately 3,800 positions.
“These American patriots, they are the unsung heroes that Secretary Duffy speaks about so often. They are the ones that have been thrust into the spotlight, into center focus of a shutdown. And air traffic controllers, we don’t start shutdowns, we’re not responsible for ending shutdowns. Who does? Congress,” Daniels said.
He added that thousands of controllers classified as “essential workers” are continuing to work without pay.
“And that’s why we’re saying, end the shutdown immediately. It’s not like we’re sitting here talking about an aviation issue. We’re talking, I understand the fears, the frustrations of the American people. We want to do an amazing job on their behalf, and we are. We’re showing up to work every day, the best way that we can to get through this crisis. But this isn’t something that we asked for. We didn’t want to put ourselves in the middle of it.”
Daniels described the situation as a political standoff in which controllers have become collateral damage.
“Yet here we are, the rope in the tug of war game that we didn’t ask for at all. And we should not be used as political pawns in any way, shape or form for these shutdowns.”
According to NATCA, the shutdown has led to severe operational consequences: 2,350 support staff—including engineers and technicians—have been furloughed, halting maintenance and modernization efforts across the National Airspace System.
Hiring and training of new controllers have been suspended indefinitely.
The financial toll on employees has also been significant. Most controllers have now missed more than 120 hours of pay, with their last partial paycheck covering pre-shutdown work on October 14.
Subsequent pay periods on October 28 and beyond produced $0 paychecks for many workers, forcing hundreds to take temporary second jobs.
Safety reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicate the impact is growing.
Between October 31 and November 2, the agency recorded 98 “staffing triggers,” events that forced ground stops, rerouting, and reduced arrival rates at major airports.
More than half of the nation’s 30 busiest facilities reported shortages, and New York-area control centers experienced up to 80 percent absenteeism during peak periods.
Aviation experts and union officials warn that prolonged shortages “erode essential layers of safety” within the air traffic control system and make the National Airspace System “less safe with each passing day.”
Meanwhile, Schumer has publicly acknowledged that Democrats see political advantage in prolonging the shutdown.
In an October 9 interview with Punchbowl News, he said, “Every day gets better for us,” referencing polling that he claimed shows voters blaming Republicans for the standoff.
Schumer added that Republicans “control everything,” despite the fact that the Senate’s 60-vote threshold prevents passage of any measure without Democratic cooperation.
As the shutdown continues, flight delays and cancellations are mounting across more than 20 major U.S. airports.
NATCA leaders say that without immediate congressional action, the strain on the nation’s air traffic system will worsen, increasing risks for travelers and deepening the financial hardship faced by the men and women who keep the skies safe.
