WASHINGTON—The federal government shutdown is leading to an air traffic slowdown and possible disaster as overworked controllers suffer burnout and Transportation Security Officers try to handle upset passengers. And that’s even though the controllers’ union, NATCA, is telling its members to stay on the job, even without paychecks.
The ramifications could be terrific. NATCA reports that over the last 12 months, controllers tracked 10,677 airborne aircraft with 636,859,278 total flights. Controllers work in 171 civilian air traffic towers and six military towers.
To make matters even worse, instead of working to remediate the problem, President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, recorded a video to be played at airports, blaming the shutdown on congressional Democrats. Officials at major airports—including Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Salt Lake City—cite local laws, the federal Hatch Act, and their own rules against political advertising and refuse to play it.
The shutdown is thanks to Republicans’ refusal to bargain for needed Senate Democratic support for a money bill to keep the government going through November 22. Trump needs enough Democratic defections to reach 60 votes there, as 52 of the 53 Senate Republicans—all but Kentuckian Rand Paul—aren’t enough to pass the measure.
And the Republican-run U.S. House isn’t even meeting, presenting the Senate with Trump’s take-it-or-leave-it bill—and blaming the Democrats for the consequences.
The Democrats demand the temporary money bill repeal massive multibillion-dollar cuts in Medicaid and continue a tax credit that curbs health insurance premiums for an estimated 24 million people who use the Affordable Care Act. Without that credit, which expires December 31, their premiums could double or more.
All this hits the 13,200 air traffic controllers, the air traffic system, and the 45,000 Transportation Security Officers, who the Government Employees represent. Both groups are “essential” workers who must do their jobs without pay for as long as the closure lasts. Trump now threatens to withhold back pay from them if and when the shutdown ends, too. That, too, breaks federal law.
Despite the squeeze—including a nationwide shortage of 3000 controllers—NATCA tells its members to stay in one of the most-stressful jobs in the U.S. And that’s with no help on the horizon: The shutdown closed the government’s controller training academy in Oklahoma City.
NATCA President Nick Daniels and controllers at Baltimore-Washington International Airport stressed the need to reopen the government when they met there on October 14 with Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. But the union also warned against coordinated controller resistance.
“NATCA does not endorse, support, or condone any federal employees participating in or endorsing a coordinated activity that negatively affects the capacity of the National Airspace System, or any other activities that undermine the professional image and reputation of the people we represent,” the union said in a statement on its website.
“Air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals take their responsibility to protect the safety of the flying public very seriously. Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service. It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.
“At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public service we provide every day. In the current political climate, federal employees are under heightened scrutiny…It is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our professions.”
NATCA is also telling members to lobby their lawmakers. “We had hoped for a swift resolution to the standoff that caused this government shutdown. Unfortunately, that does not appear likely at this time,” the union admitted.
The Air Line Pilots, who work with the controllers to keep the skies safe, are upset, too, says their president, Capt. Jason Ambrosi.
“Every safe departure and arrival in aviation relies on close collaboration across the industry. Our pilots depend on our partners at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially hardworking and dedicated air traffic controllers, to help safely shepherd us through the skies,” he said on October 1.
“A shutdown threatens the stability of the safest aviation system in the world. For years, ALPA has advocated for reliable, long-term funding to protect the FAA from being caught in political gridlock. The staffing shortages and safety setbacks caused by past shutdowns were unacceptable. To maintain the highest safety standards, uninterrupted funding to sustain the system that safely moves 2.9 million passengers and 59,000 tons of cargo every day is the necessary path forward.”
All this spells potential bad news for air travelers, who will get another jolt. As part of the Trump regime’s pro-corporate massive deregulation push, which would help fatten the pockets of the airlines and other businesses, Trump Transportation Secretary Duffy dumped a Biden-era advanced notice of a proposed rule ordering airlines to compensate passengers, in specific monetary amounts, for delays and cancellations.
All is not lost on that form of passenger suffering, though, says John Breault, Vice President for Public Policy for the National Consumers League. He pointed out the latest law covering the FAA mandates that if a domestic flight is delayed more than three hours, or an international flight is delayed more than six hours, passengers can get full refunds on their bank card charges, as long as they don’t rebook on alternative flights.
“We’re disappointed to see what Duffy decided to do [by dropping Biden’s proposal],” Breault said in a phone interview. “But we anticipated it. Consumer protection is not high on the agenda [of the Trump administration]. And they’re even bent on rolling back protections that have been in effect for years.”
Noem’s political video doesn’t help air travelers, either, he adds. “What you need when you’re standing in a [passenger screening line] is to know what’s allowed and not allowed to get you through [to your plane and its gate]. Political messaging only gets in the way.”
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