Air traffic controllers who duck unpaid work during the gov't shutdown
could be fired, Duffy warns
[October 11, 2025]
By JOSH FUNK
Even though the U.S. has a stark shortage of air traffic controllers,
ones who call in sick instead of working without a paycheck during the
federal government shutdown risk being fired, the U.S. transportation
secretary warned.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said this week that he understands
the controllers' frustrations and worries. But during an appearance
Thursday on Fox Business, he said that by calling in sick they are
causing major disruptions to air traffic, and it won't be tolerated.
“If we have some of our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’ll
let them go,” Duffy said, noting that more than 90% of controllers have
been showing up to work during the shutdown. "... It’s a small fraction
of people who don’t come to work. They can create this massive
disruption. And that’s what you’re seeing rippling through our skies
today.”
Airports across the country have experienced delays this week because of
a shortage of controllers, more than half of which Duffy attributed to
work no-shows. The worst problems have come at smaller airports in
Burbank, California, and Nashville, Tennessee, but there have also been
delays at major hubs in Newark, New Jersey, Chicago, Denver and
Dallas-Fort Worth.
Even a small number of controllers not showing up for work is causing
problems because the Federal Aviation Administration has a critical
shortage of them. Duffy has made it a priority to increase hiring to try
to eliminate the shortage in the next few years, but he said controllers
who are “problem children” could still be fired.
A Transportation Department spokesperson reinforced that message in a
statement Friday, saying, “if there are rare bad actors that don’t show
up purposefully and cause disruptions to our operations, consequences
are inevitable.”
The controllers' union, the National Association of Air Traffic
Controllers, has also stressed that members need to keep working during
the shutdown.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during a news conference
Aug. 5, 2025, at the Department of Transportation in Washington. (AP
Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
“We must be clear. NATCA does not condone a coordinated activity
that disrupts the national airspace system or damages our
reputation. Such actions are illegal. Risk your careers and destroy
our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families,” Mick
Devine, the union's executive vice president, said in a video to
members.
Like other affected federal workers, controllers are worried about
how they will pay their bills during the shutdown when they won't
get paychecks. Duffy and the union's president have acknowledged the
unfairness of their situation, which only adds more stress to their
already stressful jobs.
NATCA President Nick Daniels said controllers might have to take
time off to work a second job just to make ends meet during the
shutdown. But Duffy said that right now, he thinks the controllers
who are missing work are “lashing out” in frustration.
“It’s going to eventually be that when people don’t have money, they
have time to start making life choices and life decisions. And it
shouldn’t be waiting for air traffic controllers to break because of
having to take out loans, credit card debt, paying bills, gas,
groceries, mortgages. Those things aren’t going to stop,” Daniels
said.
Flight disruptions caused by controllers missing work might add to
the pressure on Congress to reach an agreement to end the shutdown.
That's what happened in 2019, but so far Democrats and Republicans
have shown little sign of getting close to ending their standoff.
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