The Federal Aviation Administration revealed on Thursday that only 776 air traffic controllers and technicians with flawless attendance during the government shutdown will be awarded $10,000 bonuses, leaving close to 20,000 other employees without this benefit.
TL;DR
- Only 776 FAA employees with perfect attendance during shutdown get $10,000 bonuses.
- Close to 20,000 other employees, including controllers and technicians, are excluded from bonuses.
- Absences due to financial strain caused flight disruptions and mandated airline flight cuts.
- Unions and lawmakers question the exclusion of many dedicated employees from recognition.
As the shutdown extended past a month, numerous controllers began calling out sick due to the financial strain of working without pay. While some found supplementary employment, others were unable to cover essential expenses like childcare or fuel for commuting. These absences caused disruptions at airports nationwide, prompting the government to direct airlines to cut some of their flights at 40 major airports.
President Donald Trump suggested the bonuses for those who have stayed on the job in a social media post, but he also suggested that controllers who missed work should have their pay docked. FAA officials haven’t publicly announced plans to penalize controllers.
Thousands of FAA technicians also had to work during the shutdown to maintain the equipment that air traffic controllers rely on. At least 6,600 technicians were expected to work throughout the shutdown but more than 3,000 others were subject to be recalled to work.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the bonuses recognized the commitment of these select employees who maintained perfect attendance throughout the 43-day closure. In a post on X he characterized it as “Santa’s coming to town a little early.”
“These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown,” Duffy said in his formal announcement.
The union representing National Air Traffic Controllers stated that a mere 311 out of its over 10,000 members are slated to get the bonuses. While the union acknowledged these employees with flawless attendance merit acknowledgment, they also asserted that their colleagues are equally deserving.
“We are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition. More than 311 of these dedicated professionals were instrumental in keeping America moving,” the union said in a statement.
The union representing thousands of technicians, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, stated that their members diligently worked to maintain the operational status of the outdated computer and radar systems utilized by controllers throughout the shutdown, and that all of them deserve acknowledgment, not solely the 423 individuals receiving bonuses.
“It took many hands to ensure that not one delay during the historic 43-day shutdown was attributed to equipment or system failures,” the union said in a statement.
Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen questioned why all the controllers and others who worked to keep flights moving during during the shutdown won’t get bonuses.
“For the Trump administration to not give a bonus to every single one of these hardworking women and men is wrong; they all deserve a bonus and back pay,” said Larsen, who is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee.
The controllers union said they hope to work with Duffy to find a way to recognize all the other air traffic controllers who worked during the shutdown.
Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that any TSA officers who went “above and beyond” while working without pay would get $10,000 bonuses, but she never specified how many will qualify beyond the handful of checks she handed out to officers at a news conference.
Prior to the shutdown, the FAA faced a severe deficit in air traffic controllers. Duffy had been endeavoring to increase controller recruitment and simplify the extensive training process, aiming to resolve the shortage within the coming years.
Duffy has said that some students and controllers quit and more experienced controllers retired during the shutdown. Many controllers already work 10-hour shifts six days a week because the FAA is so short on staffing.
The FAA mandated flight reductions for airlines to ease strain on the air traffic control system as more controllers were absent. Duffy said repeatedly that FAA safety specialists grew concerned with the increasing number of absences, citing pilot reports about controller reactions and several runway incursions.
Following the conclusion of the shutdown, air traffic controller availability has seen a substantial increase, enabling airlines to reinstate standard flight schedules this week.