US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that air traffic controllers will receive 70 percent of their pay within 48 hours of the government reopening.
“This is a TOP priority for me so we can get our airspace back to 100 percent,” Sean Duffy wrote on X.
His statement came amid reports of a possible end to the government shutdown.
Additionally, staffing problems worsened over the weekend and the number of short-staffed air traffic control centers rose to 81 on Saturday – the most since the shutdown began on October 1 – Transport Minister Sean Duffy said on Sunday.
According to ABC News, airlines have canceled more than 7,500 flights since Friday because of the weather and a lack of air traffic control.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that airlines have canceled more than 9,000 flights across the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight restrictions last week to reduce demand for control towers that are understaffed during the federal government shutdown.
How soon could airline traffic and flight schedules return to normal?
Although the government looks set to reopen in the coming days, airport disruptions, flight cancellations and economic losses won’t go away anytime soon.
Experts were cited ABC News said that once the Department of Transportation lifts its 10% flight reduction mandate, it will take days for airlines to recalibrate their networks before things are completely back to normal.
Watch: US to cut 10% flights at 40 major airports amid longest government shutdown | Details
When do auditors get paid?
Duffy said comptrollers will receive 70 percent of their paychecks within 48 hours of the government shutdown ending. The remaining amount will come within a week of the government reopening, ABC news reported.
Sean Duffy has warned of more pain if…
Duffy warned that if the House does not vote to reopen the government, it could result in “massive disruption” to air travel as early as this weekend.
“If the government doesn’t open up, it’s going to slow down dramatically,” Duffy said, according to ABC news. “So the House has to do its job. And by the way, I’m very hopeful. They seem to be in a good mood to come and vote to open the government.”
Trump offers $10,000 bonus for ‘great patriots’
US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to cut the pay of any comptroller who did not return to work during the government shutdown.
Trump said he would give $10,000 bonuses to those who did not take time off during the 41-day shutdown and welcome the resignations of the rest.
“All air traffic controllers must go back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will basically be ‘docked,'” Trump wrote on social media. “REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY.”
“To those air traffic controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS and took NO TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will recommend a $10,000 BONUS per person for outstanding service to our country,” Trump wrote on the social media platform TRUTH on Tuesday.
Trump criticized those who took time off during the longest US shutdown, saying: “For those who did nothing but complain and take time off even though they all knew they were going to be paid in FULL in the near future, I’M NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
Officials told Reuters it was unclear how the White House could deny a payout under the comptrollers’ union contract once the government reopens, as Trump has threatened, or how the president would pay the proposed $10,000 bonuses.
“I don’t know — I’m going to get it from somewhere,” Trump told Fox News late Monday night.
