Duffy Visits Central Wisconsin Airport as U.S. Transportation Secretary

(MOSINEE, WISCONSIN) U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy visited Central Wisconsin Airport on November 11, 2025, to address how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting air traffic controllers, flight schedules, and rural airports. During the stop in Mosinee, he confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a 6% reduction in air traffic nationwide and said plans were ready to expand that to 10% if the shutdown continued. He framed the cuts as a measured step to keep the system stable while payroll disruptions and staffing gaps hit critical operations.

The visit placed a national debate in a local setting, underscoring how a budget stalemate in Washington can quickly ripple through a community airport that connects families, businesses, and medical patients to the rest of the United States.

Meetings with controllers and staff: concerns and rationale

In meetings with air traffic controllers and security personnel at Central Wisconsin Airport, Duffy heard direct concerns about missed paychecks and the strain of working through uncertainty.

He said the FAA reductions aim to avoid sudden cancellations and instead give airlines and airports a way to plan ahead.
“If we must cut, we should cut in a way people can see and prepare for,” he explained to airport staff, according to officials present at the briefing.

He stressed that this approach, while painful, is preferable to unplanned chaos that could leave crews and passengers without clear information.

Details of the traffic reductions and contingency plans

Duffy said the nationwide 6% reduction already in place was chosen to protect the core of the network while freeing controllers from overload.

He warned that if the government shutdown stretches on, the FAA stands ready to push reductions to 10% to keep safety standards intact. He linked the step-up plan to ongoing reviews of:

• Staffing levels
• Weather conditions
• Traffic patterns

He emphasized the tools exist to scale service in a predictable way. The cutbacks will not fall evenly across airports; the goal is to spread delays while guarding high-demand routes and critical medical or cargo flights.

Support for bonuses to controllers

The Secretary voiced support for President Trump’s proposal to pay a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers who did not miss scheduled shifts during the shutdown.

He called it a signal that the country values steady service under pressure and that the most stressed parts of the system deserve relief. While he did not offer a timeline for how such payments would be authorized or delivered, he said the policy could:

• Help keep experienced controllers on the job
• Encourage others to hold the line as Congress and the White House negotiate funding

The idea fits with his broader push to hold the workforce together until normal operations return.

Holiday travel outlook

Asked about the upcoming holiday travel surge, Duffy said he was cautiously hopeful that if controllers return to work in full numbers, most scheduled flights could be restored by Thanksgiving.

He stopped short of promising a date, urging passengers to stay in close contact with their airlines and watch advisories. “I would rather underpromise and deliver,” he said, than set targets that might crumble if the shutdown drags on.

He acknowledged the limits of optimism when staff are stretched, but pointed to recent days in which traffic moved smoothly under the reduced plan as a sign the model can hold.

Focus on rural airports and community impact

Duffy drew special attention to rural airports like Central Wisconsin Airport, saying they must not be treated as an afterthought.

He argued smaller communities depend on reliable connections for:

• Medical care
• University travel
• Business travel
• Military family movements

While big hubs grab headlines, disruptions at small fields can isolate entire regions. Duffy said his department will track how the cuts touch rural routes and will resist plans that push too much pain onto towns that already have few flight options. The message echoed his Wisconsin roots and his stated focus on rural transportation.

Safety as the top priority

Safety framed every part of the visit. Duffy said the department is monitoring “safety data hour by hour” and will adjust traffic flow if any red flags appear.

He linked this to the FAA’s layered system of checks:

• Controller staffing levels
• Pilot reports
• Weather forecasts
• Runway conditions

He stressed that no schedule goal will outrank safety. For travelers and crews, the message is simple: expect fewer flights for now, but expect the flights that do operate to have the resources needed to run safely.

He also reminded the public that the FAA continues to post official updates and guidance at the Federal Aviation Administration, which remains the most direct source for system status.

Airline and airport operational responses

Airlines are reworking rosters and pushing extra communication to passengers. Duffy said the government asked carriers to send early notices of schedule changes when possible to help families and workers make backup plans.

He encouraged travelers out of Central Wisconsin Airport to:

• Arrive early
• Check in online
• Keep an eye on gate information, especially if weather moves in

For small airports, even a few canceled or delayed flights can disrupt a full day’s schedule because there are fewer alternate aircraft and crews to swap in. Airport staff in Mosinee said they are coordinating closely with regional partners to share updates across the network.

Duffy’s background and ongoing commitment

Confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Transportation in early 2025, Duffy has made infrastructure, aviation safety, and efficiency central to his agenda.

Returning to Wisconsin, he highlighted the practical ways these national goals play out on a regional field. He described Central Wisconsin Airport as a test case for how to keep smaller facilities running during federal funding gaps and promised to keep spotlighting rural needs in cabinet discussions.

His team said the department will closely monitor how even modest traffic reductions can accumulate in places where daily frequencies are already thin.

Broader implications and next steps

The broader stakes stretch beyond one airport. As the government shutdown drags on, pay questions for air traffic controllers become issues about:

• Retention
• Training
• The pipeline for new hires

Duffy said the department is weighing short-term relief with long-term system health. He noted two possible recovery paths:

1. If the shutdown ends soon: the 6% reduction could be rolled back in stages to avoid an immediate crush on crews and facilities.
2. If the shutdown continues: a shift to 10% would be designed to keep the system safe without surprising airlines or travelers.

VisaVerge.com, which tracks travel and policy changes for a wide audience, has followed the aviation strain during the shutdown and pointed readers to official sources for the most current operational updates.

By late afternoon, Duffy left Mosinee with a promise to return if the situation worsens or if new guidance is issued.

Airport leaders welcomed the attention and the direct lines now open to Washington. For people flying in and out of Central Wisconsin Airport, the message was firm but measured: there will be fewer flights while the budget fight lasts, but the system will be managed carefully, and relief could come if workers get paid and return to their posts.

Duffy summarized the path back to normal as depending on three pillars: steady staffing, clear data, and shared planning — goals that, for now, will shape how the country flies through a budget crisis.