Air traffic controllers issue desperate plea as families struggle without paychecks

Air traffic controllers issued a desperate plea to lawmakers to end the government shutdown, as thousands of workers continue without paychecks. Federal employees, including air traffic controllers, are working long hours without pay to keep the nation’s skies safe and moving.

They say the stress is taking a toll.

“The pressure is real,” said air traffic controller Joe Segretto on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday.

“Prioritizing what bills are [going to] be paid, what’s got to get cut. And it’s a distraction for your home life.”

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Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, speaks during a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Tuesday. 

Segretto said the shutdown dominates every conversation at work and at home, as employees worry about how they will feed their families.

The continued shutdown is straining one of the nation’s most critical industries. Union leaders warn that the financial strain and thinning ranks of controllers are slowing air traffic, as many workers take on second jobs.

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers work across the U.S. They’re considered essential employees, meaning they’re required to work even as their paychecks remain in limbo.

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Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the staffing shortage, which is now being made worse by the shutdown, is putting the entire system under strain.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks alongside Rep. Tom Emmer and House Speaker Mike Johnson during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)

“We have only 10,800 certified controllers operating in a system where there should be 14,633,” Daniels said.

“We have 400 less controllers than we did in the 2019 shutdown. It’s just putting the strain and pressure on controllers every single day. And then you add this shutdown on top of it. Absolutely, controllers are distracted, they’re fatigued. It’s unnecessary and putting them in a horrible position.”

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Daniels said controllers are calling on lawmakers to break the stalemate and reopen the government. He warned that real lives are being impacted by political gridlock.

“Air traffic controllers are not pawns. We shouldn’t be the rope in a tug of war,” he said.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, speaks during a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Tuesday. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“We’re out saying every day: end the shutdown now, pass legislation that puts these hardworking men and women back to work, reduces this distraction, and also, gives them the ability to do the job of the unsung heroes they are.”

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The government shutdown has entered its fourth week amid a standoff over healthcare funding. Democrats say they won’t agree to reopen the government unless a bill includes an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire in 2025.

They argue that failing to act before open enrollment in November could drive up premiums for millions of Americans, while Republicans say they won’t negotiate until the government is reopened.