‘It Sucks’: Air Traffic Controllers Worry the Shutdown Risks Flyer Safety — And Their Own Health

Air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration say the 36-day government shutdown has left them stressed and demoralized.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed an increase in controllers calling out sick and on Wednesday, announced a 10% reduction in flight capacity at 40 locations. The problem appears to have intensified after controllers stopped receiving their paychecks last week.

An uptick in controller shortages was previously reported by the Department of Transportation in early October, just days after the shutdown began.

“It’s had quite the impact,” Jack Criss Jr., an air traffic controller who makes extra money driving for DoorDash, told NOTUS. “Say that they told you how long a shutdown was going to last, say they said it was going to be 45 days, you could plan. You could plot out your finances. But instead, it’s unknown. And it’s the unknown part that has everyone all nervous.”

Could job-related stress cause safety risk to passengers? “As time goes on, I can see how a safety issue may slip into the equation. But I would hate to think that because I’m very passionate about safety,” Criss said, adding that the situation is “unfair” and that he feels “betrayed.”

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said that 80% of controllers in the New York City area were absent from work. Duffy warned Tuesday that certain sections of U.S. air space would have to close if the government does not reopen by Nov. 11.

Matthew Hegel, an air traffic controller, hands out pamphlets at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Seth Wenig/AP

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said lawmakers “must pass a clean continuing resolution to immediately end the government shutdown.”

“Since the last seven to 10 days, people were still steadily coming into work, just kind of confident in everything was gonna get passed soon or whatnot,” an air traffic controller assistant, granted anonymity for fear of retaliation from their employer, told NOTUS. “But I think once it went past 30 days, I think everybody’s just fatigued over it, over all the talk and the waiting and not getting paid.”

The air traffic assistant said they have begun relying more on savings and credit cards to pay bills.

“It sucks,” the assistant said. “We’re working for each other. I guess it’s kind of motivating to see other people that are doing the same thing as you, and they’re still kind of in a similar boat.”

Another air traffic controller who works on the East Coast told NOTUS that financial uncertainty pushed them to consider other jobs. The controller added that the increase in controllers staying home from work isn’t “malicious,” but rather, an attempt to prioritize their health.

“I’m constantly thinking about how will I pay for my rent, my groceries, a car payment, my student loan, etc. I know coworkers who have it a lot worse. They have kids,” the controller said. “As long as the government shutdown happens every day that this goes on, safety… there will be more risk being added.”

The FAA told NOTUS that the agency “is not responding to routine media inquiries,” and reiterated that as “staffing shortages” increase, “the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations.” The Department of Transportation did not respond to questions from NOTUS.

In October, lawmakers expressed concern about what a long shutdown could mean for future air traffic controller recruitment efforts.

Stephen Abraham, a former air traffic controller, told NOTUS that while shutdown-related stress isn’t good for employees, he doesn’t think it will have long-term consequences for recruiting controllers.

“One of the things about that job is you have to have a really short memory. I think when they get backpaid, they’ll forget about it and move on until the next time it happens,” Abraham said. (The Trump administration is exploring backpay options and has not yet committed to a specific plan.)

“But in terms of recruiting, I don’t think 20somethings think that far in advance,” he added, referring to the mandatory application age for controllers.

Philip Mann, who trained probationary employees as an FAA Training Program Manager in Oklahoma City, told NOTUS that he doesn’t think the shutdown will cause “serious safety implications” because of FAA policies.

Mann said that he would like members of Congress in the future to separate funding for “safety functions” on a distinct appropriations track from other programs that rely on government funding.

“I’d like to see them get to a situation where all the safety critical stuff, they can continue business as usual without a vote,” Mann said. “And that basically people would have to vote to stop the appropriation. They wouldn’t have to vote to allow it.”

The shutdown has also sparked questions on whether investigations into crashes that the National Transportation Safety Board conducts will be affected.

On Tuesday, at least 11 people died after a UPS cargo plane crashed while taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky.

A fireball erupts near airport property after a plane crash at Louisville Muhammed Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. Jon Cherry/AP

According to the NTSB’s September Contingency Plan for Lapse in Appropriations, the board furloughed 107 employees, or about 25% of its staff.

The NTSB did not respond to NOTUS’ questions regarding how crash investigations could be affected.

However, Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB air safety investigator, told NOTUS that he doesn’t expect the shutdown to hinder the agency’s investigation, which is already underway.

He added that the furloughed employees were “more administrative” and not “rank-and-file investigators,” and that the only effect he could foresee is possibly a slight delay in writing the investigation report.

“Having worked for the NTSB during government shutdowns before, these investigators are dedicated,” Guzzetti said. “They know that they’re gonna get paid eventually, because they’ve been exempted employees. They haven’t been furloughed.”