Overview
- Roughly 13,000–14,000 air traffic controllers and tens of thousands of TSA officers received zero-dollar paychecks on Tuesday but remain on the job under essential-worker rules.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controller absences accounted for up to 44% of U.S. delays Sunday and 24% Monday, with flight-tracking data showing more than 18,000 delays Tuesday.
- Controller unions leafleted travelers at roughly 20–22 airports, highlighting six-day workweeks, mandatory overtime and reports of some members seeking side jobs to cover basic bills.
- United, Delta and JetBlue confirmed they are arranging meals for unpaid federal aviation workers, while volunteers delivered hundreds of hot meals to TSA staff at Chicago O’Hare.
- Sen. James Lankford, working with Sen. Ted Cruz, is drafting legislation to keep controllers and TSA paid during the lapse as DOT and industry leaders report trainees leaving the academy and warn of setbacks to FAA workforce growth and technology upgrades.