Air traffic controllers will miss their biweekly paycheck, which would have gone out on Oct. 28, as the government shutdown continues.
It marks the first time during the shutdown — now in its 27th day — that controllers will go without a full paycheck.
Air traffic controllers are classified as essential employees, meaning they are required to report to work during a shutdown. However, officials say sick calls have noticeably increased in recent days.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there were 22 staffing “triggers” on Saturday, indicating a shortage of controllers.
“That's a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said Sunday in an interview on Fox News.
Flights at Los Angeles International Airport were temporarily halted on Sunday due to staffing shortages, and airports across the country reported delays and cancellations.
Duffy warned the impact could worsen if the shutdown continues.
“You're going to see more delays, you're going to see more cancellations,” he said.
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Duffy previously told Scripps News that controllers could face discipline — including losing their jobs — if they call in sick without actually being ill.
“If they're sick, they're sick. I'm fine with that,” Duffy said. “But if they're not showing up to work, and they're calling out for other reasons. And it's coordinated, and they collaborate on it, I don't want those people working in air traffic.”
