Air Traffic Controllers Skipping Work Amid Shutdown Will Be Fired: Transportation Chief

More than 50 percent of flight delays can now be attributed to controller staffing shortages, he said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testifies before a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 14, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Air traffic controllers who are not dedicated enough to come to work regularly during the government shutdown will be terminated from their jobs, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during an Oct. 9 interview with Fox Business.

“We need more controllers, but we need the best and the brightest, the dedicated controllers. And if we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go. I can’t have people not showing up for work,” Duffy said, referring to such controllers as “problem children.”

Duffy said he has seen a noticeable rise in air traffic controllers calling in sick amid the ongoing shutdown.

“I want to be clear, 90-95 percent of them are amazing, beautiful, wonderful American patriots that show up to work every day. Even though they may not get that paycheck on time, they show up. It’s a small fraction of people who don’t come to work that can create this massive disruption. And that’s what you’re seeing rippling through our skies today.”

Duffy said that in the past, an average of 5 percent of flight delays was due to controller staffing shortages. Now, 53 percent of delays can be attributed to such shortages.

“So, a massive rise in the delays are coming from controllers who aren’t coming to work. It’s a problem,” Duffy said. “They do have to go to work.”

The transportation secretary clarified that while the air traffic controllers who come to work during the government shutdown won’t get paid, “they’re going to get paid once the government opens back up.”

About 13,000 air traffic controllers were not furloughed during the shutdown since their work was deemed critical. Roughly 50,000 officers from the Transportation Security Administration are required to continue working during the shutdown. The next paycheck for these workers is due on Oct. 14.

During an Oct. 7 press conference, Duffy said that controllers will miss their paychecks on Oct. 14 if the shutdown remains in effect.

The suspension of payments for air traffic controllers comes as many are already working mandatory overtime, six days a week, due to staffing shortages. The Federal Aviation Administration is estimated to be short 3,500 air traffic controllers compared to its targets.

On Oct. 7, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he was open to passing legislation ensuring that air traffic controllers continue to get paid during the shutdown.

The shortage has affected flight operations in several cities, including Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

According to data from FlightAware, there were more than 3,800 delays or cancellations of flights within, into, or out of the United States on Tuesday.

This number rose to more than 4,600 on Wednesday and more than 6,800 on Thursday. As of 02:50 a.m. EDT on Friday, there were 400 flight delays or cancellations.

Shutdown, Controller Shortage

The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement regarding a short-term plan to keep the administration funded. The House of Representatives approved a funding proposal, but the Senate has yet to pass it.

On Oct. 9, Republicans presented a resolution that was passed by the House. Democrats also introduced a competing resolution that includes roughly $1.5 trillion in additional spending, mostly for health care. Both bills failed to pass the Senate.

Democrats are seeking a rollback of the Medicaid cuts made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in July. They also demand extending the enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic that are set to expire by the end of this year.

In his interview, Duffy blamed Democrats for the shutdown and the resulting air traffic controller shortage.

“What’s happening here, 90 percent of the controllers, they show up, they come to work. But 10 percent of them are lashing out. They lash out at Chuck Schumer. They’re frustrated that Chuck Schumer is putting illegal immigrants in their health care over their paychecks, putting illegals over Americans.”

In an Oct.6 statement, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) dismissed claims that his party was demanding health care for illegal immigrants.

“Let’s be perfectly clear: Democrats are fighting to protect Americans’ healthcare, we are not trying to give healthcare to undocumented immigrants,” he said. “Republicans are resorting to lies to distract from the damage and the healthcare crisis their policies have caused for American families.”

In an Oct. 1 statement, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) called on Congress to end the government shutdown as soon as possible.

NATCA President Nick Daniels warned that the shutdown introduces “unnecessary distractions” and that the entire aviation system gets weakened.

“Congress must restore federal funding so that the safety and efficiency of our National Airspace System is not compromised,” he said.