President Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Monday to blast struggling Air Traffic Controllers, who are continuing to work without pay as a record-breaking government shutdown enters its 41st day, demanding they “get back to work, NOW!!!”
Travellers are facing mounting delays and disruption as a result of the shutdown because an increasing number of cash-strapped Air Traffic Controllers are failing to show up at work.
A directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to slash flights by up to 10% between 40 key airports across the United States is doing little to relieve the issues posed by the staffing shortages.
Rather than solving the problem, the directive could have actually been counterproductive, effectively giving staffers the impression that they can call out sick.
Trump now says that he will move to dock back pay from any Air Traffic Controller who calls in sick and expects to work without pay for as long as the shutdown persists, to prove that they are patriots.
In a long and rambling post, Trump said: “All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of £10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU. You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our country.”
The post continued: “You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record. If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind.”
“You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering.”
According to data supplied by flight tracking service, Flight Aware, airlines were grappling with 1,839 cancellations and 5,300 delays around the United States on Monday.
Those figures are, however, expected to rise over the course of the rest of the day and could top Sunday’s horrific figures with 11,215 delays and nearly 3,000 cancellations recorded on top of the FAA-mandated cancellations.
Many Air Traffic Controllers are now relying on food banks and donations from airlines and airports to keep food on the table and gas in their cars, although they are resorting to taking second jobs to pay their bills.
The situation is, without doubt, incredibly serious. Air Traffic Controllers risk mistake-inducing fatigue if they do their day job and work a second job on the side, but calling in sick puts increased pressure on America’s fragile National Airspace System.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to X to hit back at President Trump, saying: “The President wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller, as after everything they’ve been through – and the way this administration has treated them from Day One – he has no business sh**ting on them now.”
The National Union of Air Traffic Controllers, NATCA, has pleaded with lawmakers to end the shutdown because “every day the shutdown continues, the negative consequences to the NAS [National Airspace System] and its employees are compounding.”
