An additional 2,300 U.S. flights
were cancelled on Monday as President Donald Trump threatened to dock pay for
air traffic controllers who called in sick during the ongoing government
shutdown, now in its 41st day.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association
(NATCA) hailed its members working without pay as “unsung heroes” and urged
Congress to end the shutdown immediately.
“Air traffic controllers should not be the political
pawn during a government shutdown,” said NATCA president Nick Daniels, noting
that many controllers are working six-day weeks, ten-hour days, without
compensation.
Besides the cancellations, more than 8,700 flights
were delayed, and airlines had already scrapped 1,100 flights scheduled for
Tuesday, according to FlightAware. The Trump administration had earlier ordered
10% reductions in flights at dozens of airports due to staffing shortages.
Trump, taking to Truth Social, demanded that all
controllers “get back to work, NOW!!!” and promised a $10,000 bonus to those
who did not take leave during the shutdown. During a later Fox News interview,
he admitted uncertainty over the source of the funds, saying, “I’ll get it from
someplace… Regardless, it doesn’t matter.”
Democratic Congressman Rick Larsen criticized Trump’s
remarks as “nuts,” emphasizing that controllers deserve thanks, not attacks on
their patriotism.
The shutdown has also strained families, with
controllers like Amy Lark in Virginia facing financial hardship, highlighting
the human toll of the prolonged closure. Travelers have also been affected,
with frequent flight changes causing disruptions at major airports, including
Miami International.
Prospects for a resolution appeared brighter as the US
Senate passed a bill to fund the government through January, though Daniels
warned that back pay could take months to reach all controllers.
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