Live updates: House expected to vote today on ending record-long government shutdown as flight cancellations are ongoing
About 5,000 workers are maintaining FAA equipment, along with 14,000 air traffic controllers, who are all working without a paycheck.
In recent days, a record number of air traffic controllers took unscheduled time off, causing a cascading effect of hourslong delays for travelers. At the same time, the FAA slashed flights at 40 US airports, so controllers who do show up could safely handle the traffic.
When Amanda James, who’s been at the FAA for over three years, saw news of a funding deal this week, she said, “I’ll believe it whenever I see it done.” James and her husband, a controller with the FAA for over 11 years, have been through shutdowns before and had been saving in case another one should happen.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the loss of pay for essential FAA employees a “crisis within aviation” on Tuesday.
Duffy has said some controllers may be calling out in protest, while others could be working other jobs to support their family. Some simply get sick or become exhausted from the stress of not knowing when they will get paid.
Read more about the FAA workers going without paychecks here.