(UNITED STATES) Air traffic controllers across the United States 🇺🇸 are working without pay as a government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025 stretches on. The Federal Aviation Administration has cut air traffic by 10% across 40 high‑volume markets to preserve safety margins. The FAA says callouts have risen and staffing at key facilities is strained, while delays ripple through the national airspace system. More than 13,000 air traffic controllers have missed at least one paycheck, with many facing mounting bills and growing fatigue as they try to keep flights moving and passengers safe.
Where the strain is most visible
The strain is most visible at the busiest airports. FAA officials reported that half of the nation’s “Core 30” airports are short on controllers, and some facilities in the New York area are experiencing shortages as high as 80%. That gap has led to slower traffic flows and longer holds on the ground. The agency has described the situation as unprecedented in recent memory.
“I’m not aware in my 35‑year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures.”
— FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford
Financial and personal pressures on controllers
Controllers are expected to be “100% focused 100% of the time,” but many are now coping with financial stress uncommon in safety‑critical jobs. Concerns include:
- Rent and mortgages
- Gas and food costs
- Childcare expenses
Some controllers are taking night shifts in private security or other fields to bridge the gap. Aviation experts Brian Strzempkowski and Melanie Dickman at The Ohio State University said, “Working without regular pay, combined with the possibility that they won’t get paid at all, is resulting in real financial stress for air traffic controllers, who perform one of the most stressful jobs there is.”
Fatigue, second jobs, and absenteeism
Those second jobs come with a cost. Controllers describe finishing overnight shifts and then facing a full day at a radar scope or tower cab — a schedule that is not sustainable. Several have called in sick after night work due to exhaustion, according to union sources and internal reports cited by officials.
The FAA has acknowledged “strained staffing levels at multiple facilities,” and the rise in absenteeism is now affecting traffic flows nationwide. The agency said bluntly:
“After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue. The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.”
Management response and labor tensions
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has taken a hard line on missed shifts, saying that roughly 10% of the controller workforce is engaging in this practice and threatening to fire what he called “problem children.” His statement has sparked backlash from union leaders and working controllers.
- Unions argue that fatigue‑related sick calls during a shutdown are a symptom, not the cause.
- The dispute highlights a growing divide between labor and management about how to keep the system safe while salaries are frozen and schedules stretch to six days a week with mandatory overtime.
Safety measures and operational changes
Even without pay, controllers are showing up and relying on the system’s built‑in protections — team coordination, strict handoffs, required breaks, and medical checks — to keep errors down. But those safeguards have limits.
- FAA has reduced scheduled traffic by 10% in key markets to lower complexity.
- Ground delays are issued more often.
- Miles‑in‑trail spacing between flights has widened to ease workload.
Bedford explained the approach: “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating.”
Inside control rooms: culture and coping
Supervisors have been reminding teams to speak up about fatigue and to avoid swapping shifts in ways that create longer stretches on position. Yet the shutdown’s math is unforgiving: controllers have bills due, and uncertainty about back pay intensifies stress.
One Chicago‑area controller said he drove for a delivery app until 2 a.m. to cover rent, then slept in his car before a morning shift. “I’m not a hero,” he said. “I’m a dad with a kid in daycare and a car payment. I can’t miss two paychecks.”
Mental health concerns
Mental health concerns are rising alongside financial problems. Ongoing research at Southern Illinois University is studying how understaffing and financial insecurity affect rates of anxiety and depression among controllers.
“Everyone has mental health issues. It doesn’t matter if you are a pilot, a controller or do a regular ordinary job. Life affects us all the same way.”
— Benton, Southern Illinois Airport
Controllers and advocates say stigma remains strong in aviation, where medical fitness is tightly monitored and some fear that disclosing treatment could affect their careers.
Training disruptions and long‑term workforce risks
Union leaders and industry groups are urging Congress and the White House to restore funding, warning that prolonged shutdowns can cause lasting damage:
- Accelerated retirements
- Trainees leaving the pipeline
- Disrupted training schedules and unused simulator slots because instructors are not on paid status
If the government shutdown persists, unions say the FAA may struggle to recover staffing levels even once pay resumes.
Regional spotlight: New York area
The New York region shows how fragile the balance has become. The airspace around LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark requires dense staffing and precise coordination.
- Reported shortages up to 80% have led the FAA to trim traffic there.
- Airlines are adjusting schedules and warning customers about longer taxi times and in‑air holds.
- Delays spill into other parts of the network as aircraft and crews misconnect.
Officials insist they will not relax medical or duty rules to speed throughput. Controllers still must meet regular health checks and are barred from working when sick, fatigued, or medically unfit. But unpaid work has blurred those lines: some take unpaid leave to avoid working while exhausted, others show up despite the risk.
Personal stories across the country
In Cleveland, a veteran controller described coworkers selling personal items and canceling childcare to save cash: “We work a job that requires perfect focus. Now we’re thinking about which bill is late while we’re sequencing ten planes to the final.”
Similar accounts come from Dallas and Atlanta: grocery budgets cut, gas tanks kept half full, and a growing sense that the system depends on their sacrifice while paychecks are suspended by politics far from the radar room.
FAA messaging and public guidance
Behind the scenes, the FAA’s central aim is to preserve safety margins while buying time. Cutting scheduled traffic by 10% lowers complexity and lets smaller teams handle workloads without rushing. But that also costs airlines money and frustrates travelers.
The agency has urged patience and directed the public to official updates on staffing and operations through the Federal Aviation Administration, saying it will restore full traffic levels once staffing stabilizes and pay resumes.
The human and operational toll
For controllers, the choice feels bleak. Some are calling in sick after night shifts at second jobs; others attempt to push through and then confront the risk of burnout. The common thread is that none of this is sustainable.
The FAA warned: “the shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.” Airline executives and pilots echo that warning, noting morale is slipping and small errors could become more likely without relief.
Likely consequences if the shutdown continues
- Trainees lose momentum and may leave the system.
- Experienced controllers may accelerate retirement.
- Families face growing cash crunches.
- Staffing shortages could persist even after pay resumes.
And yet, the work continues: clearances read, altitudes checked, speeds assigned, conflicts resolved — professionals holding the line while politics stall above them.
The conclusion many in aviation share: controllers need their paychecks restored and staffing stabilized so the system can run at normal levels again. Until then, the country will keep flying, but more slowly — with thicker buffers and longer waits — while air traffic controllers strive to remain 100% focused 100% of the time despite mounting pressure.
This Article in a Nutshell
Since the October 1, 2025 government shutdown, over 13,000 U.S. air traffic controllers have missed paychecks, prompting many to take second jobs and increasing fatigue. The FAA reduced scheduled traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets and widened miles-in-trail to lower complexity. Half of the Core 30 airports report shortages, and some New York facilities face up to 80% shortfalls. Unions warn of accelerated retirements and training disruptions if funding isn’t restored. The FAA stresses pay must resume to stabilize staffing and avoid further delays.
