13,294 controllers work unpaid as sick calls spike and Congress blocks funding

The FAA reported 264 staffing-related operational problems in the first 28 days of the shutdown — roughly four times the rate seen in 2024. By Oct. 19, ground delays and route restrictions were widespread at 40 high-traffic airports. The FAA imposed a 6% daily cancellation requirement to manage the load, grounding hundreds of flights before they were scheduled to depart.

13,294 certified air traffic controllers worked the entire shutdown without paychecks. By Oct. 28, they had worked 28 consecutive days unpaid — roughly four full work weeks. Federal law requires back pay after funding is restored, but provides no bridge during the lapse itself.

Controllers' sick-call rates increased significantly during the shutdown. Transportation Secretary SDSean Duffy publicly threatened to fire controllers who called in sick, calling the absences a deliberate slowdown. NATCA president NDNick Daniels disputed that framing, telling reporters that financial stress from missed paychecks causes genuine illness and dangerous distraction on the job.

TSA officers — who screen passengers at airports — also worked without pay. A TSA spokesperson confirmed that some officers were taking second jobs to cover expenses during the shutdown. TSA staffing levels at secondary checkpoints dropped at several airports, creating longer screening wait times at busy hubs.

The travel industry estimated the shutdown was costing it approximately $1 billion per week in lost revenue. That estimate covered airline ticket refunds, missed hotel bookings, canceled rental car reservations, and ripple effects on tourism-dependent small businesses.

The FAA Academy — which trains new controllers at a minimum 18-month pipeline — suspended new cohort enrollments during the shutdown. The FAA was already 3,000 controllers short of its target staffing level before Oct. 1. The suspension of training deepened a shortage that takes years, not months, to recover from.

The FAA's $31.5 billion NextGen infrastructure replacement program — which aims to replace 1960s-era radar, navigation, and communications hardware — faced payment delays to contractors. Several subcontractors paused work, slowing a modernization effort the agency had described as critical to long-term aviation safety.

Ground stops and ground delays were concentrated at the 40 busiest U.S. airports. Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Atlanta, and the 🗽New York metro airports (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark) were hit hardest. Passengers were typically given less than 24 hours notice of cancellations, and rebooking on already-congested flights was difficult.