Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said more than 13,000 controllers could get a zero-dollar paycheck if the shutdown lasts through Tuesday, even as they are required to keep working.
- Flight disruptions have escalated, with FlightAware logging 6,158 delays Thursday and staffing-related slowdowns reported at LaGuardia, Newark, Reagan National, and Houston, with warnings for New York, Dallas, and Phoenix.
- Union leaders report many controllers working 10-hour days six days a week and taking side gigs like DoorDash and Uber, while stressing that coordinated job actions are illegal and could lead to removal.
- Duffy warned FAA Academy trainees are leaving and said funding to pay students could run out within one to two weeks, while unions cite thousands of furloughed engineers jeopardizing safety support and modernization work.
- Airlines and airports are providing meals and connecting controllers with food banks, as the FAA manages safety by reducing operational rates and Duffy warns misuse of sick leave could bring firings.